Entrepreneurship And Innovation – Page 3

Assistive Technology Helps Disabled Students in School, Community and Workplace

Problem

Children with disabilities in the public school system often require assistive technology devices to provide them with the opportunity to fully integrate into the learning process and successfully navigate through school, the community and the workplace. Examples of assistive technology devices include tablets which help non-verbal students speak or help visually impaired students access materials, voice activated wheelchairs, voice activated readers, voice-synthesized computer modules, optical scanners, and talking software. These devices are created and programmed to meet the needs of individual students. However, due to a lack of cooperation, collaboration and bureaucratic red tape these life-changing technologies did not follow a student through their educational progress and instead reverted back to the school system.

Solution

In 2005 I sponsored and passed legislation ensuring that individuals with disabilities who are provided with assistive technology devices may retain the devices as they transition through the education system, employment and independent living. Upon returning to the Legislature in 2016, I learned that some students were not able to access their individualized devices outside of school, so we filed a bill to correct this. This legislative change makes sure that assistive technology can help students with disabilities fully integrate into the learning process, and successfully navigate through school, the community and the workplace by giving them access to this life-changing technology at school, at home and in the community.

Combating Patent Trolls

Problem

“Patent trolls” tax our innovation economy by amassing thousands of cheap, second-rate patents and deploying them on unsuspecting small companies, claiming unauthorized use of their intellectual property. These companies gain the rights to patents for the sole purpose of profiting through litigation or licensing, rather than by producing their own bonafide goods or services. The number of patent lawsuits has increased tenfold since 2000, and more than 60% of all patent lawsuits are filed by these “non-practicing entities,” up from 30% in 2009. And with an average lawsuit costing $1.6 million, the nefarious actions of patent trolls add up quickly. Settlements can cost upwards of $30,000, which can be devastating to a small start-up with limited capital. New companies are already at risk of failure for plenty of reasons apart from patent trolls unfairly gaming the legal system.

Solution

My legislation would protect innovation and entrepreneurship in the Commonwealth by prohibiting making a bad faith assertion of patent infringement and creating a legal means for companies to defend themselves from those litigating or threatening patent infringement litigation in bad faith. Studies have shown that in states with an already established VC presence, like Massachusetts, the passage of anti-troll laws leads to a 19% increase in the number of firms receiving VC funding, and my legislation can help us realize that economic potential.

Data Science for Water Infrastructure

Problem

The City of Syracuse experiences frequent water main breaks, and the Department of Water spends most of their time responding to emergencies rather than undertaking proactive main repairs. Additionally, when the water main breaks occur, oftentimes the valves to isolate the breaks don’t work. This forces the Department of Water to use valves farther away from breaks to turn off the water, which means that more people are affected by water system failure.

Solution

We used data to develop a model with risk scores for each water main segment. These risk scores help the water department to prioritize work and identify projects to ensure that water system failures cause as little disruption as possible. With this model, Syracuse is now 5 times more likely to identify a main that is likely to break, allowing us to deploy crews to test and repair water main valves and isolate the break to the smallest area possible, thereby reducing the number of people affected by water system failures. This not only allows us to identify priority main segments and coordinate main repairs with other departments and utilities, but also allows us to adjust operations and prioritize other types of work. We have also been able to deploy technology to help identify leaks before they become debilitating breaks.

Collaborative Open Data

Problem

In the City of Syracuse, assets like catchbasins, sidewalk curb corners, and stop signs are not mapped in geographic information systems. Knowing where these assets are, we could easily analyze which catchbasins are not working properly based on flooding calls, or where sidewalk curb corners are not ADA compliant. The problem is with thousands of each asset and no dedicated staff to digitize this information, the project is too large, time consuming, and expensive, for just the city to take on. Residents also do not always know the purpose of maintaining city assets, and may not be engaged to their fullest potential.

Solution

Using crowdsourcing techniques, residents could help with data collection, while saving the city time and money and contributing to open government. Crowdsourcing is already used in a variety of ways, from products like Wikipedia to programs like Open Street Map. With constrained budgets and staff time, cities can take advantage of crowdsourcing to collect data on municipally-owned assets, which not only gives cities access to critical data, but also helps residents better understand and feel more connected to government. The city could make all of the data publicly available for further analysis and expanded partnership opportunities with the public. To make this happen in Syracuse, we are using the open data portal we created and have partnered with Syracuse University on some infrastructure data-collection tasks, while also pursuing funding from local foundations and national funders like the National Science Foundation.

BankLocal

Problem

Over 90% of companies in Rhode Island are small businesses, employing much of the private sector workforce. Entrepreneurs need access to affordable capital to launch and expand businesses, and the consolidation of the national banking industry has made it increasingly difficult for small-scale businesses to find lenders who are responsive to their needs. At the same time, the remaining local community banks and credit unions that are most likely to offer flexible financing arrangements to small businesses are often capital constrained. Challenges obtaining access to capital have historically been particularly acute for women and minority owned businesses, with a recent national NMSDC survey finding that half of minority owned businesses have been unable to obtain financing to grow their operations over the past four years.

Solution

BankLocal moves state cash deposits to local community banks and credit unions as an incentive for small business lending, using some of the $500 million to $1 billion in state cash on hand at any point during the year. Participating lending institutions are eligible to receive a cash deposit equal to the amount of each small business loan the institution makes, up to $250,000. Loans must be made to businesses within the state of Rhode Island, to companies with 100 employees or less. Loans to women or minority owned businesses, or to businesses founded by first-time entrepreneurs, are eligible for a 2-to-1 match. Deposits are “sticky”, with the state pledging to keep the deposits at the lending institutions for the duration of the matched loans.

Combating Patent Trolls

Problem

“Patent trolls” tax our innovation economy by amassing thousands of cheap, second-rate patents and deploying them on unsuspecting small companies, claiming unauthorized use of their intellectual property. These companies gain the rights to patents for the sole purpose of profiting through litigation or licensing, rather than by producing their own bonafide goods or services. The number of patent lawsuits has increased tenfold since 2000, and more than 60% of all patent lawsuits are filed by these “non-practicing entities,” up from 30% in 2009. And with an average lawsuit costing $1.6 million, the nefarious actions of patent trolls add up quickly. Settlements can cost upwards of $30,000, which can be devastating to a small start-up with limited capital. New companies are already at risk of failure for plenty of reasons apart from patent trolls unfairly gaming the legal system.

Solution

My legislation would protect innovation and entrepreneurship in the Commonwealth by prohibiting making a bad faith assertion of patent infringement and creating a legal means for companies to defend themselves from those litigating or threatening patent infringement litigation in bad faith. Studies have shown that in states with an already established VC presence, like Massachusetts, the passage of anti-troll laws leads to a 19% increase in the number of firms receiving VC funding, and my legislation can help us realize that economic potential.

Common Sense Regulations for Ride Share Companies

Problem

Popular ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft were operating in Connecticut cities and towns without any regulation.

Solution

After meeting with consumer protection advocates and representatives of the companies for two years, I crafted legislation establishing common sense regulations for ride-share companies like background checks for drives, vehicle safety inspections, minimum insurance standards and bans on surge pricing during severe weather or emergencies. The bill became law in 2017 and, in the end, was publicly supported by both Uber and Lyft proving that government and business can work together in the best interest of consumers.

Creating Portable Benefits

Problem

When people are employed as part-time workers or independent contractors, they are less likely to have access to traditional benefits and more likely to face financial and personal stress. American workers have traditionally relied upon their employers to provide the social guarantees that allow individuals and families to prosper, including health insurance, workers compensation, retirement plans, paid sick leave, life insurance, etc. However, as employers embrace the “gig economy” and move to hiring independent contractors and other non-traditional workers, benefits are no longer required or provided. Due to the instability that is inherent to so much of their work, non-traditional workers have a serious need for workplace benefits.

Solution

To establish a fund that allows policy experimentation to see what works in order to ensure the dignity and security for workers and their families in a rapidly changing economy. The purpose of my bill, An Act establishing portable benefits for independent workers innovation fund, does just that. It establishes a statewide program that will encourage employers and organizations to find innovative ways to provide this growing independent workforce with access to many of the social insurance protections that are typically provided to workers through traditional full-time employment.

Assistive Technology Helps Disabled Students in School, Community and Workplace

Problem

Solution

Combating Patent Trolls

Problem

Solution

Data Science for Water Infrastructure

Problem

Solution

Collaborative Open Data

Problem

Solution

BankLocal

Problem

Solution

Combating Patent Trolls

Problem

Solution

Common Sense Regulations for Ride Share Companies

Problem

Solution

Creating Portable Benefits

Problem

Solution

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