Rural Oklahoma founders make their case at Farm Bureau Demo Day

For Andrew Redd, a problem with industrial safety starts with a disconnect. The label is on the pipe. The paperwork describing it is somewhere else.

“Two systems describing the same facility, and they don’t talk to each other,” he said.

Redd’s company, Industrial Marking and Safety Solutions, wants to connect them. Its system pairs physical labels with software, using QR codes to put equipment information and safety documentation in the hands of workers who need it.

The Stroud venture was one of 10 businesses that pitched Thursday, Oct. 8, at Innovation Hall in Oklahoma City during Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators Demo Day.

The evening marked the culmination of months of business training and mentorship for entrepreneurs working on problems they often encountered firsthand. Their pitches covered agricultural products, workforce training, food safety, and technology for managing everything from horse barns to blood pressure.

Each business had five minutes to explain the problem, make its case for a solution, and tell the room what it needed next.

Those requests were specific. Redd outlined a $1 million funding request to expand production capacity and develop the company’s software. Other founders sought pilot customers, distribution relationships, or introductions that could help bring a product to market.

Farm Bureau reported that founders in its accelerators had created 148 jobs and raised more than $20 million in various forms of capital since the program launched in 2023. Organizers said its reach extended to 43 rural Oklahoma communities.

Farm Bureau also reported raising $5.75 million for a venture capital fund to help close gaps in financing for rural businesses.

The accelerator includes more than 45 hours of classroom instruction over six months, organizers said, along with mentorship and work that founders complete while continuing to run their businesses.

Farm Bureau offers two tracks. AgCelerate Oklahoma focuses on innovations with applications in farming and ranching. Activate Oklahoma serves rural entrepreneurs across industries. Participants receive business development resources and opportunities to pitch potential investors.

For Meaghan Burns, founder of Jones-based Remote Ready OK, the opportunity is to help rural residents compete for jobs they can do without moving away.

Her program trains people for remote work and the growing use of artificial intelligence in business. Burns described a model in which individuals pay for career training, institutions license the curriculum, and employers pay to develop their workforce or hire trained talent.

“Remote work can be done anywhere in the world,” Burns said.

Her pitch asked why more of that work couldn’t happen in Oklahoma’s own communities. Remote Ready OK is seeking customers and partners to help expand its training and connect participants with employers.

Several agricultural pitches grew out of the daily work of caring for animals or raising crops.

Cordell’s MedX presented a medicinal dart designed to treat cattle while leaving a visible mark identifying the animal that received medication. The idea addresses a practical problem for producers managing a herd: knowing which animals have already been treated.

Jones-based EqTek presented a farm management system that combines an app with stall information screens and water monitors. The system is designed to make feeding instructions, animal records, and water levels easier to track and share with the people responsible for a barn.

Its founder described testing the technology on Oklahoma farms ahead of a planned public launch later this month.

Kevin Sanchez, founder of JKS Farm Consultants’ Multiplier product, focused on the economics of crop production. His seaweed-based biostimulant is designed to support root development and help crops make better use of water and other inputs.

Sanchez said the product was being used on 20,000 acres in Florida and Georgia. He also reported recently closing sales to customers in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and asked for relationships with distributors, manufacturers, lenders, cooperatives, and farmers.

“Multiplier’s proven in the field, and it’s ready to scale,” Sanchez said.

Elk City’s SuperBlend Organics also pitched a product for producers, using concentrated beneficial microbes designed to improve soil fertility and nutrient efficiency.

Other ventures showed the range of businesses represented in the program. Choctaw-based NicomaNet Technologies presented tools to help food manufacturers monitor recalls, regulations, and safety information. Stillwater’s TriPoint Innovations pitched Hunter Radar, combining an app and hardware to help hunters and outdoor users stay aware of one another’s locations.

Norman’s Blank Slate Learning Group presented Science Sports, a learning platform that uses games and physical activities to teach science. NR Heart pitched a digital platform designed to support blood pressure management between clinical visits.

After the pitches, audience members were invited to vote for their favorite presentation, and participants received graduation certificates. Founders also had display tables where guests could ask questions and discuss potential partnerships.