Every November veterans across the country receive special attention in the form of parades, free meals and admission to museums and state/national parks, and much more. But at one company based in Reno, Nev. every day is Veterans Day. Lulius Innovation, a five-year old technology company comprises twelve employees, seven of whom are veterans, including its founder and CTO Colonel Rich Ferguson, a Master Army Aviator, instructor pilot, safety officer who has served in the Army National Guard for 29 years.
“Most often people who join the military do so for altruistic reasons. In the for profit world, once ready to leave the service, many veterans find themselves a little lost. I love to hire veterans because of the altruistic reasons they joined in the first place,” said Ferguson.
Ferguson launched his Aviation Status Dashboard (ASD) to solve a problem he and his aircrew frequently encountered: an inability to collect essential flight data in real time. ASD is a live, automated dashboard poised to improve military flight operations’ readiness, safety and efficiency. ASD is already seeing success in specific groups within the US Army, and looks to expand.
Ferguson says his business is advancing technology in ways the military can’t. “We can do things a lot cheaper, way faster. We’re right on the cutting edge, where the military takes years to get through those requirements.”
The military uses Lulius software at 21 locations to track flights. The app also shows, in real time, which aircraft are in use and which are down for maintenance.
The ASD has the same menu items found on an iPhone or an Android and Ferguson says this design makes it really easy for young Soldiers — this is important because around 90 percent of the military is under 25 years old.
Ferguson and Lulius Innovation recently received special attention from U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) during Congressional Startup Day, for which Rosen was one of this year’s Senate Co-Chairs. The focus of Congressional Startup Day, and Startup Advocacy Week, is to connect Federal policymakers with startups, innovators and entrepreneurs across the country. Rosen’s visit was widely covered by local media.
Rosen, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently spent time in Reno with Rich Ferguson, to discuss how to make changes at a Federal level to help startups like his.
“We [kicked] off the week with Lulius to show what people can do when they use their own experience, they see a need out there, they have the right support – what they can innovate,” said Rosen.
“Senator Rosen is one of just a few members of Congress who understands the platform we’ve built and how it will change the way the Army manages its operations and readiness. She is focused on efficiency. We are so fortunate to have her as our Nevada U.S. Senate and I’m grateful for her support,” Ferguson added.
As Lulius grows, Ferguson remains committed to filling new roles at Lulius Innovation with veterans. “They have the right values, they care about things bigger than themselves,” he said. “I think it’s crazy more companies don’t work with this untapped employment pool. There isn’t a better group of people to work with.”
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