Umlah Joins Spring Loaded as COO
Spring Loaded Technology has hired Dawn Umlah, previously the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Innovacorp, as its Chief Operating Officer.
Dartmouth-based Spring Loaded, which makes knee braces that add power to the knee, is growing its team to meet the demand for its Levitation Knee Brace, which will launch later this year. As Spring Loaded Technology’s COO, Umlah will use her more than 15 years of experience to help the company navigate its expansion and mature its manufacturing capabilities.
“We’re thrilled to bring Dawn on as Spring Loaded Technology’s COO,” said CEO Chris Cowper-Smith in a statement. “Her hands-on experience propelling companies through various growth transitions will be invaluable as we near the launch of our Levitation bionic knee brace in the consumer and medical markets this fall.”
Umlah has held senior roles in venture capital, finance, operations, strategic planning and corporate development, and has been involved in corporate development transactions and fundraising activities aggregating more than $365 million in value. She played an integral role in propelling DHX Media from formation to IPO in just two years, followed by four years of growth-by-acquisition strategy and application.
Spring Loaded recently received $1.9 million in investment from Build Ventures.
Sentinel Strikes Partnership with Crosbie
St. John’s-based Sentinel Alert has struck a partnership with the Crosbie Group of Companies, a fifth-generation family business involved in such Newfoundland and Labrador industries as offshore oil and gas services, onshore industrial services, real estate and construction.
Sentinel Alert, creator of safety software designed to detect and prevent worker accidents, said it has entered into a pilot agreement with the Crosbie group. The initial partnership will focus on exploring early indicators of worker risk around industry challenges like noise exposure and repetitive strain injuries. The pilot is designed to help Crosbie create the safest operating environment to support the health and wellbeing of its workforce. Longer-term, the Sentinel Alert platform will add predictive safety benefits for workers and offer additional efficiency gains.
“With the ever evolving workforce and workplace, it is important that we continue to strive for improvements in protecting our people and improving our safety performance,” said Crosbie VP of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality William Foote. “This software is evolutionary for the safety industry and this partnership with Sentinel Alert will help us step further into new technological aids for a safer workforce and workplace.”
Sentinel Alert recently raised $525,000 in seed round financing through Pelorus Venture Capital and Killick Capital. Sentinel Alert is using the funding to open up its software to larger industrial customers and continue to grow its team.
Howe Launches IgniteTheMaritimes.com
Dartmouth entrepreneur David Howe has launched a series of online videos on startups that are prospering in the Maritimes.
The project is called IgniteTheMaritimes.com, and Howe describes it as a mini-documentary series that tells the stories of top founders in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
The first three episodes cover Kyle Racki of Proposify, Darren Gallop of Marcato Digital Solutions, and Mark Hemphill of Screenscape.
Howe previously co-founded two startups, ToothbrushSubscriptions.com (now Boka.com) and Retailkit (now Tend.ag).
