shawnokeefe.com

Author: Shawn

New Decade, New Endeavors

Welcome to 2020. What follows is a special update regarding what I’ve been up to lately…

Ch-ch-ch-changes
As you may know, after returning to Austin in early 2018 (after almost three years in New Zealand), I’ve continued to architect and run innovation programs. Initially working with the non-profit Food+City on their startup program for food innovators, and more recently as a “plank holder” for the Army Applications Laboratory (part of the newly-established Army Futures Command), I’ve sharpened my skills as an innovation director and facilitator of transformation. When the Army put their hardware accelerator on “strategic pause,” I left to return to my passion – developing a new kind of hardware innovation program based in Austin.

Hello World from 1st Assembly Supply Co.
Since my work on Lightning Lab Manufacturing and the creation of the 1st Assembly community hub & makerspace in Lower Hutt, NZ, I’ve been mentoring hardware entrepreneurs in Austin – mostly via Techstars Impact and Capital Factory. And I’ve met so many amazing folks! This has only deepened my resolve to more formally deliver value to the significant talent pool in a tech community built by the likes of Dell, National Instruments, Silicon Labs & many more – thus a new consultancy is born.

While 1st Assembly Supply Co. is the consultancy specializing in acceleration frameworks, rapid prototyping and customer-centric approaches for Hardware & IoT companies, I have a very ambitious endeavor in the works…

The 1A Hardware Program
Part business accelerator and part product development course, 1A is a six-month innovation program that transforms prototypes into investable products. Initially focusing on Industrial IoT (manufacturing, agritech, environmental, smart city sectors), the program is designed for both early-stage and established companies to bring transformative products to market. We’re currently gathering community feedback and formalizing some really cool partnerships. In terms of timeline, we’re aiming to host a launch event in March. Buckle up.

My Asks
Know any folks who should know about 1A and/or be profiled in our new hardware zine, Throughput? Send them my way. Know of potential partners & sponsors who should be involved in 1A? Please connect me, as it’s going to be one heck of a rewarding journey for all.

Please note that I have added shawn@1stassemb.ly to my list of email addresses. I’m still at the same mobile device and you can always follow my latest shenanigans via Instagram.

01/22/2020
Adventures in IoT

I recently had the pleasure of traveling to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to deliver a keynote & IoT workshop at the first-ever Code Spark event. Huge thanks to Charles Fry and the CODE Éxitos team (along with MAS Digital, Altia & Unitec) for the opportunity to bring some Particle Photon kits and work with some very talented devs.

Learn more about this inspiring initiative »

10/20/2019
Team Lightning Lab

As a cyclist, I’m always envisioning designs for cycling kit and being inspired by all the fantastic options out there. Sometimes I even take on a related project or two.

While in New Zealand, I had the opportunity to design a jersey and bib for Lightning Lab (the brand for Creative HQ’s various acceleration programs). As I’m hoping to have the finished kit in-hand soon, I wanted to give a little sneak peek of what’s to come. (Thanks to Danny and the team at Ultimo for their eternal patience.)

For more cycling and adventure-related content, don’t miss my latest activity on Instagram.

11/09/2018
Food+City

From my previous innovation work with Fonterra and Lincoln Hub in New Zealand to Food for Thought ATX here in Austin, I find myself working more and more in the FoodTech sector. And for good reason. Whether the growing VC interest or the challenges of sustainably feeding our growing population (8.5 billion humans on the planet by 2030), there are a number of critical problems and exciting opportunities to create some significant real-world impact.

Building upon the above experiences, I’m happy to announce that I’ve taken on a new role as Director of Innovation for Food+City, an Austin-based non-profit dedicated to food supply chain innovation. While some may be familiar with Food+City’s print publications, I’ll be heading up their Startup Challenge and helping to grow the program with the vision of becoming a full-blown innovation and acceleration platform. (I’ll continue the heavy-lifting to bring a hardware accelerator + makerspace to Austin, but I’ll be allocating much less time for consulting projects and other work.)

The 2019 Food+City Startup Challenge is currently accepting applications through November 16. So if you’re involved in disrupting food systems, give me a shout to discuss how you can get involved. Startups can apply for a chance to win valuable prize packages, access to a special mentorship program, significant exposure at the Showcase next March during SXSW and more. I’m looking forward to being inspired by all the new ideas and transformative solutions from across the globe.

On the subject of investment, I’ll be moderating a panel in a few weeks during Austin Startup Week (which runs October 1-5, 2018):

Finding Investors for Your Food Company
Wednesday, October 3, 2018 • 11:00am – 12:15pm
The Refinery, 612 Brazos Street, ATX 78701

Hope to see you there and/or geek out about the future of food in the not-too-distant future.

Pictured above: Creative new signage for Food+City in collaboration with Post Oak Customs.

09/20/2018
For a Good Cause

As you may know, sometimes I jump on my bicycle and ride a few miles for a good cause. And sometimes I make such a decision at the last minute with less than ideal planning and training. Part of the fun, really.

Well, this Saturday, I’ll be riding the 65-mile course at the Texas Mamma Jamma to benefit some fantastic Central Texas organizations that help breast cancer fighters and survivors. There’s still time to join me on the ride. And there’s still time to donate!

Feel free to follow along and witness the shenanigans via Instagram — and stay tuned for a sneak peek at my new cycling-related charity endeavor called Microadventu.re. Can’t wait to share more.

See you out there on the road.

09/19/2018
Uncharted Waters

Last week, I returned to Texas after an almost three-year stint running acceleration programs in New Zealand. It’s impossible to distill my overseas adventure into a handful of descriptors, but I’ll “give it a go” as is often said in that part of the world: inspirational, eye-opening, insightful, failure-prone, educational, transformational. (Much like the journey of a startup, actually.)

With Lightning Lab Manufacturing (which resulted in the creation of 1st Assembly), two R9 Accelerator programs, Disrupt (Fonterra’s internal accelerator) and many other projects and endeavors, I honed my skills on how best to deliver value and faced many challenges — the distinct pains of growing hardware companies, the complex politics of working with (and across) government agencies, counseling co-founders through profound disagreements (and breakups), and the limits of my own resilience to name a few.

I learned more about my strengths. I learned more about my weaknesses.

If left to my own devices (and considering the state of the country and current political climate), I’m not sure that I would have returned to the US of A. However, with ongoing family issues, we decided it’s best to be close to family in Texas (perhaps the silver lining of this change).

In the meantime, I’m on the hunt for new opportunities and interesting work in Austin.

The path ahead will no doubt be a different one, but I’m up for the challenge to begin anew in the very special city that was my home for over 20 years.

Iterate. Adapt. Onward through uncharted waters.

02/09/2018
Preparing for Disruption

From pea and insect proteins to synthetic milks and alternative “meats,” the food technology revolution is well underway. Is New Zealand ready to take part in this movement? How can we sustainably feed our planet’s rapidly-growing population (8.5 billion by 2030)? How can we innovate to create New Zealand’s future agricultural and food industries? Are plant-based protein solutions part of the answer?

To address the above questions, Lincoln Hub and Creative HQ teamed up with the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), AgMARDT & Callaghan Innovation to invite tech innovators, entrepreneurs, food technologists, scientists, and those passionate about transforming the future of food to the Feed the World 2030: Power of Plants Hackathon in Christchurch.

The weekend kicked off with a special screening of Food Evolution, exploring the complexities of science, public discourse and genetic engineering in food. Then teams were formed, ideas hatched and developed, and solutions pitched in front of a live panel of judges — all to shape the future of what we eat and what we grow.

I was privileged to be part of the Creative HQ team to deliver this event, continuing work in the foodtech space that began with Fonterra’s internal innovation program, Disrupt. (And embarrassingly enough, I was recently on the airwaves as part of Fonterra’s Made By Many campaign, sharing some of the work that Creative HQ does with Fonterra.)

Based on the overwhelming interest and participation, the hackathon will hopefully be a stepping stone to a full-blown acceleration program that focuses on exponential technologies in foodtech and agtech. Stay tuned.

01/24/2018
R9 Accelerator 3+

In March, private sector entrepreneurs and public sector changemakers teamed up to embark on a challenging 3-month journey — one that combined intensive mentorship, lean startup methodologies, and heaps of inspiration. Eight teams flourished in the third iteration of the R9 Accelerator, a unique model of GovTech innovation born right here in New Zealand.

It was such a pleasure to guide these passionate and energized teams through the acceleration process (my second accelerator in the GovTech space), and I’m proud of what they accomplished in such a short time. The recent R9 Demo Day showcased the customer-centric approaches, the many ups and downs (“pivots”), and new solutions that can transform how government functions in the business and social impact sectors. We’re honored to have received attention and exposure across the globe, as well as a number of visitors from distant corners such as Estonia, Singapore, Bangladesh and more.

Teams from the third R9 cohort are now securing funding to enter a special post-acceleration support program (PASP) at the beginning of the month. I invite you to join the R9 journey and get involved with these startups that endeavor to change the world — together we can go far.

More background and insights on the program can be found via the R9 Accelerator channel on YouTube »

07/28/2017
The Rimutaka Cycle Trail

I recently embarked on a solo bikepacking adventure around the Rimutaka Cycle Trail. 183 kilometers of scenic vistas and gravel road, with a bit of soul-searching along the way. Below are a few of my favorite photos from the journey to Greytown and back. For more data and details, check out the ride via my Strava profile.

03/14/2017
The Water Carriers

After a musical hiatus that’s lasted more than seven years, I’ll be performing a handful of songs at 7×7 this Friday, 25 November (the end of Thanksgiving Day in the USA). The ambient alt-country tunes will be under the banner of The Water Carriers, which I hope to be a revolving cast of sonic troublemakers and raconteurs in the not-too-distant future.

If you’re in Wellington or nearby, come along and join the fun.

11/21/2016