Success Stories

Success Story: Connecticut

– Save 65,000 breast cancer patients six months of wasted time and toxic exposure each year
– Direct each person to the right chemotherapy and save the U.S. health care system $1.4 billion in the process
– All in a day’s work for BioArray

No company has cracked the code for choosing the best chemotherapy for an individual patient, despite the broad range of molecular breast cancer tests available today. Trial-and-error is still the mainstream available path. Currently, the majority of patients start their treatment journey with the ‘standard-of-care’, taxane-based regimen. Due to the low response rates to this regimen (25%), when patients are offered the next level of treatment they have already been exposed to side effects for about six months, which is painful for patients (e.g., immune system debilitation, nausea, hair loss and exposure to unnecessary toxicity). Imagine if we knew who was a good candidate for the ‘standard-of-care’ and who should go straight to ‘Plan B’ while their immune systems are still strong.

Enter BioArray Genetics, the Connecticut SBDC’s (CTSBDC’s) own cancer revolutionary. Chemotherapy is not a “one-size-fits-all” process, and precision medicine was Marcia Fournier’s inspiration for founding her biotech company, BioArray Genetics. Marcia’s extensive experience in oncology, as well as her practical and strategic experience in drug discovery, biomarker development, and clinical diagnostics, led to the development of BioArray’s first predictive test (BA100). It saves breast cancer patients potentially life-saving months, by pinpointing the best chemotherapy treatment for each patient based on genetic markers right out of the starting gate, while the patient’s body and immune system are still strong.  (more…)

When you spend most of your time working for the greater good, taking a moment to celebrate the good work you do is often an afterthought. That’s been the case for America’s Small Business Development Centers. But on March 22, 2017 that will all change. The first America’s #SBDCDay is set for that date to unite the nearly 1,000 SBDCs across the country with the hundreds of thousands of small businesses they’ve served in their 37-year history. The day will be a national celebration of the role SBDCs have played in small business success and of the positive impact SBDCs have had on the nation’s economy.

“We are thrilled to see SBDCs around the country working together to celebrate their clients and showcase the work they do for America’s small businesses. SBDC clients see an average job growth of 15.5% versus the national job growth average of just 1.9%. There is no denying the impact SBDCs have on the success of the small businesses in their communities and their local economies. Congratulations to all SBDCs, said Charles “Tee” Rowe, America’s SBDC President & CEO.  (more…)

America’s SBDC Clients Showcased in the Nation’s Capital

WASHINGTON, DC – America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) kicked-off their annual legislative meeting on Monday, February 6th with a reception and SBDC client showcase on Capitol Hill. Representative Steve Chabot of Ohio, Chairman of the Committee on Small Business, Acting SBA Administrator Joseph Loddo, Representative George William “Bill” Foster of Illinois, Representative Yvette D. Clarke of New York, and Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas addressed the reception guests.

The America’s SBDC Network showcased 14 SBDC clients from across the country. The SBDC clients were SpiderSense (Illinois), BlueAtomVR (California), Motus (Alabama), SimUCare (Delaware), Veterans MFG (Texas), Bearcreek Smokehouse (Texas), Rex Specs (Wyoming), Superior Bath House (Arkansas), Torklift (Washington), Stratom (Colorado), CPR Tools (Florida), Micro-LAM Technologies (Michigan), Wildcard Brewing Company (California) and Hometown Trolley (Wisconsin). (more…)

1 Day to the Congressional Showcase!

State: Wisconsin
SBDC: Wisconsin SBDC at UW-Green Bay
SBDC Advisor: Chuck Brys
SBDC Client: Double K, Inc. dba Hometown Trolley

Hometown Trolley is a family-owned manufacturing business of trackless trolley buses used in private and public transit applications such as Universities, Historical Downtown areas, Public transportation in tourist areas, weddings and corporate events and tour operators. Each trolley is handcrafted to the exact specifications of the customer’s needs. Hometown Trolleys are sold nationwide as well as Canada and beyond. (more…)