The Inventivity Pod

It’s been a year since we last spoke with our vaccine expert, Dr. Peter Khoury. We discuss the different types of vaccines available, if there is a best one to take, if there are side effects or dangers to be worried about, and whether or not Covid 19 will be here for the long run.  Dr. Peter Khoury, is the President and CEO of Ology Bioservices Inc.  He is an expert on vaccines an...

The current COVID-19 tests are not perfectly accurate, which causes several issues with managing the viral spread.  Epidemiological data suggests that 1/4 of all COVID-19 transmission occurs through asymptomatic carriers, up to 14 days before any symptoms are shown. Dr. Vanaja Ragavan, Founder, President, and CEO of Aviana Molecular Technologies, LLC has developed a more accurate test that ca...

Dr. Bill Petty is the co-founder, former CEO and Chairman of Exactech, a company that makes orthopedic implants. Petty, an orthopedic surgeon and his co-founder Gary Miller, a biomechanics engineer, realized in 1985 that replacing shoulders, hips and knees would be a lot more effective if manufacturers talked more to surgeons to figure out what they really needed. Petty, along with his wife Betty,...

One of four girls, Cara Negri’s favorite book growing up was about an amputee named Michelle who went on to do everything. Cara has helped develop video motion analysis to analyze how people move and how to help them walk. Her company, PnO Data Solutions has developed tools that are widely used in the rehab and physical therapy market. *This episode was originally released on October 24, 201...

Cars that can talk to traffic signs. It’s not science fiction, it’s a company. Dr. Enes Karaaslan is a civil engineering scientist and the co-founder of Connected Wise, a 2020 Cade Prize Finalist. The Orlando start-up is developing technology that connects autonomous vehicles to safety infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Initial data shows that such devices can prevent thousands...

What can we learn from the brain about learning itself? Based on the latest findings of neuroscience about how the brain learns best, Noel Foy offers training to teachers, parents, students, athletes, and coaches. For instance, improving executive function helps master impulsive behavior and reduce anxiety, both valuable traits for students and athletes. Noel also talks about how her son’s e...

Where does creativity live in the brain, and why does it matter?  We talk to Rex Jung, a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico, a research scientist at the Mind Research Network, and a practicing clinical neuropsychologist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jung talks about how standard measurements of creativity correlate with the structure of the brain, and how the bra...

Contact tracing for COVID. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Is there a better way?  Serial entrepreneur Richard Allen is the co-founder of Alert Trace, a wearable electronic contact tracing system. Operating via Bluetooth, the device doesn’t need GPS, meaning fewer privacy concerns and less battery power.  The system will soon be implemented by the US Navy, US Air Fo...

Everyday people around the world step on to a scale to see what they weigh, but is this really the most effective tool for measuring our health? Michael Fedewa and Mike Esco, lifelong health and fitness researchers, co-founders of MADE Health and Fitness, and Cade Prize finalists tell us why cutting edge technology on our smartphones may be the best tool for managing our health. By simply download...

Josh McCauley, the founder of COMB, discusses how his innovation could help provide environmentally-friendly housing to 20 million people worldwide that can’t afford to put a roof over their heads.  COMB is a new system of construction consisting of interlocking blocks made from recycled plastic, utilizing mankind’s abundance of ecologically damaging plastic waste to provide envir...

Every day Veterinarians help animals heal, and part of that process is keeping an eye on the animal’s respiration, heart rate, and temperature using wires and probes. This can be difficult and dangerous, as animals are uncomfortable being attached to wires and can lash out at the vet. Vik Ramprakash, CEO of Structured Monitoring Products Inc, has created a  solution, VetGuardian. A wire...

What happens if you pair artificial intelligence with drones? Among other things you make life easier for tree growers, who can now count, measure, and more efficiently take care of their crop. Dr. Yiannis Ampatzidis and Matt Donovan are the developers of Agroview, a Florida startup invention and a 2020 Cade Prize finalist. They explain using basic drone images, Agroview’s AI and data fusion...

Over 20 years in the making, Redhill Scientific’s patented process creates nitrate fertilizer on-site and on-demand with a simple combination of air, water, and electricity, replicating the natural nitrate creation process found in thunderstorms. Their non-thermal plasma nitrogen fixation system uses zero fossil fuels, releases zero carbon, is more fully utilized by plants, and reduces the c...

Unmanned aerial vehicles started out as a military technology, but now have applications in fields like agriculture, surveying, search and rescue, pipeline monitoring, emergency response, infrastructure inspection, and disaster relief. Trevor Perrott, CEO and co-founder of Censys Technologies, explains what it’s like to start and run an aerospace startup company, and its market niche in Beyo...

Just 20 years ago the dream of starting a space company could not have become a reality unless you had significant capital and access to government programs. Mark Sirangelo, one of the founders of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, along with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, joins us to discuss how the space industry is becoming far more accessible and how you can start your very own space company. &...

For 20 years the International Space Station has served as a microgravity lab in the sky. Every day there are dozens of experiments being run that are designed to improve humankind. Dr. Siobhan Malany, Founder and President of Micro-grx, is using the test lab to study how to reduce muscle atrophy here on earth. Join us as we discuss what it takes to run such an experiment and why space makes for s...

What do you do with human waste in space? Daniel Yeh, winner of the 2014 Cade Prize and a professor at the University of South Florida, invented a solar-powered system that converts human waste into nutrients, energy and water. Initially designed for small villages in the underdeveloped world, the all-in-one waste management system is being tested for use in the Artemis program for a return to the...

What is it like to be an astronaut? We talk to former astronaut and U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, who became the second sitting member of Congress to fly into space in January 1986 on the Space Shuttle Colombia. Nelson describes his training, his fellow astronauts, the highlights of the mission, and his thoughts on the future of space exploration.       TRANSCRIPT:   Intro: 0:...

Will factories in space enable us to become a “multi-planetary species?” Yes, according to Aaron Kemmer, founder of Made in Space. In 2014 the company’s Zero-G printer was launched from Cape Canaveral and went on to successfully print the first ever part manufactured in space. Kemmer talks about space manufacturing, a moon base, and a potential trip to Mars.    TRANSCRI...

We have learned a great deal about radiation here on earth, and that knowledge has paved the way for us to discover a solution to an even more difficult problem, radiation in space. Space explorers need to be able to move and work without worrying about radiation. Dr. Oren Milstein, CEO and Co-founder of StemRad, has created a wearable radiation shielding vest that takes up minimal space and prote...

A public private partnership in Space. What does that look like in Florida, the rest of the country, and the world? Part two of our series on the renaissance in Space Exploration features Tony Gannon, the Vice President for Research and Innovation at Space Florida. Tony reveals how our new space ecosystem pairs NASA, with billionaires, and corporate space mavericks, to yield an extensive infusion...

Launch into Radio Cade’s Space Pod and step inside the future of humanity’s journey into deep space. Our first episode features Mark Sirangelo, who was involved with more than 350 space missions at Sierra Nevada and is the visionary NASA tapped to lead its Moon to Mars Mission Directorate. Mark discusses not just the how of the space exploration renaissance, but the why. Although we ne...

Antibiotics are used to keep cattle healthy and lower their feeding costs. But as with humans, antibiotic overuse leads to super resistant bacteria.  Is there a better way? This week listen to Horace Nalle, CEO of Nutrivert and the winner of the 2020 Cade Prize for Innovation. Nalle is the co-inventor of “postbiotics,” which achieve the same beneficial effect as antibiotics withou...

Each year in the U.S., over 164,000 emergency room visits and 300 deaths are caused by falls from a ladder. Inspired by his father, Paul Stentiford has invented a simple device that makes climbing ladders safer. A general contractor, Paul and his son developed six prototypes over two years and are now moving their product to market. Paul remembers helping his father on carpentry jobs when he was f...

Despite the plethora of language learning tools, learning a new language is still very difficult for many people. What if it was much easier and much more fun? Dr. Sara Smith, a finalist for the 2020 Cade Prize, Oxford and Harvard educated Assistant Professor at USF, and CEO of MARVL shares how her patented augmented reality app can change how we learn languages.   TRANSCRIPT:   Intro: 0...