July 17, 2025 · Entrepreneurs, Innovation, Stories
Alabama HQ at Sloss Tech 2025
Across Alabama, innovation looks different depending on where you stand. In some regions, it’s anchored by federal research or university labs. In others, it’s driven by small business accelerators, workforce training or outdoor assets leveraged to keep talent rooted.
Sloss Tech 2025 offered a rare chance to bring those perspectives into the same room. Founders and funders, students, developers and decision makers came together for three days to exchange ideas and explore how innovation is moving across the state. Through its Alabama HQ activation and insightful spotlights on the mainstage, Innovate Alabama convened sessions that surfaced regional insights and helped ensure statewide efforts reflect local realities.
Alabama HQ: Regional Roll Call
Each panel outlined local momentum and pressure points, offering a clearer view of what’s working and where opportunities lie.
I-85 Region
Panelists from Montgomery TechLab, BESPIN and Troy University described how the region is building a foundation for next-gen startups. Through public-private partnerships and academic initiatives, they outlined how the I-85 region aligns resources to support both entrepreneurial growth and national security priorities. From AI coursework to defense-tech pilot projects, panelists emphasized the need for institutions that can respond to rapid change and help startups keep pace.
“We’re innovating at a time of exponential change. Our programs are built to prepare talent for what’s next.” – Dr. Jim Locke, executive director of Troy’s Business Center for AI Research and Education.
The takeaway: Within the I-85 region, innovation strategy is tied to adaptability. The ecosystem’s network of education, industry and defense partners is working to turn readiness into a long-term advantage.
South Alabama
Founders from Mobile and Baldwin counties shared how strong networks, local accelerators and community-backing are fueling early-stage growth in the region, With support from programs like Innovation Portal, Hatch and gener8tor, panelists emphasized that relationships and collaboration are what makes it possible to scale.
“In South Alabama, people show up for each other,” said one founder. “That kind of support changes what’s possible.”
The takeaway: In South Alabama, collaboration is more than a mindset. It’s how things move forward. Around here, sharing really is part of scaling.
North Alabama
“How do we attract talent, but more importantly, how do we retain it?” asked Mitch Hamm, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of North Alabama. That question grounded the conversation among panelists from Cummings Research Park, UNA and several early-stage companies. They shared how the region’s legacy in defense and aerospace is making space for new ventures. From pitch competitions to mentorship networks, panelists pointed to practical tools that help founders take their next step and give talent a reason to stay.
The takeaway: North Alabama is aligning legacy assets with targeted support to help startups across sectors take root and grow.
Central Alabama
Panelists from Innovation Depot, UAB and Southern Research outlined how the region’s research infrastructure and startup programs are beginning to work in sync. They discussed what it takes to grow a lasting biotech ecosystem, with wet lab space, clear commercialization pathways, and the support needed to keep companies and researchers in state.
“We can’t build this alone. It takes a network of institutions and leaders working together to grow something that lasts.” – Kathy Nugent, executive director of UAB’s Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The takeaway: Central Alabama’s strength starts with its anchor institutions. But building biotech here will require more than physical space. Progress will hinge on coordination, shared investment and exposing talent to opportunity early.
Mainstage Alignment: Powering Alabama’s Future
On the mainstage, Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair, Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield and EDPA President Miller Girvin joined to demonstrate how their organizations support founders across the startup journey in Alabama.
The session, moderated by TechBirmingham President Deon Gordon, opened with a prompt: What does real alignment between public partners look like when a founder is at the center of the conversation?”
Each leader outlined their organization’s role — from workforce and capital programs to Alabama Launchpad and FuelAL — and how those tools come together to meet founders where they are.
“We don’t just think about the founder when they show up. We think about them when we wake up. Our job is to unlock the ecosystem and help them navigate what comes next.” – Cynthia Crutchfield, CEO of Innovate Alabama
The segment followed the real experience of Olu Aladebumoye, co-founder of SmartWiz and an Auburn graduate who turned down a multimillion-dollar offer in Los Angeles to stay in Alabama. He credited support from the Alabama Department of Commerce, Innovation Depot, EDPA, Innovate Alabama and others with helping his team move forward, right here in Alabama.
Mainstage Moves: The Venture Studio
With the unveiling of the Innovate Alabama Venture Studio and Fund, the state introduced a new framework for building homegrown ventures around local challenges. Built in partnership with Birmingham-based Harmony Venture Labs (HVL), the studio works alongside industry partners to identify pressing problems and form companies designed to solve them.
The session was moderated by Fast Company contributor Abigail Bassett, who joined Sloss Tech to spotlight Alabama’s emerging venture landscape on a national stage.
“We’re not waiting for momentum to show up. We’re building it ourselves. The studio is about drawing capital in but also sending it out into new companies with the infrastructure to succeed.” – Shegun Otulana, founder of Harmony Venture Labs
The studio plans to:
- Launch 10 Alabama-based companies by 2028
- Attract $10 million in early-stage venture capital
- Create long-term economic impact across multiple regions
Mary Beth Grant, program director of capital access at Innovate Alabama, added that the model is designed to fill persistent gaps. “We’re helping founders move from idea to Series A with support tailored to Alabama’s strengths. Success looks like a statewide pipeline of investable companies.”
Alabama HQ: Emerging Talent
Talent from FuelAL, The Alabama Collective, Alabama Data Scholars, NextOp and Best and Brightest shared how hands-on experience and strong networks are shaping where they choose to live and work. From Mobile to Scottsboro, they described how internships, mentorship and statewide exposure are helping them see Alabama as a long-term option.
“At first it was, ‘Why Alabama?’ Now it’s ‘Why not Alabama?’” said Brian Anderson, a student at Miles College and participant in Alabama Collective.
Greg Reed, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce, emphasized the need for focused engagement. “If we want to keep talent here, we have to make sure students see themselves in the future we’re building,” he said.
Looking Ahead
Sloss Tech was a platform for conversations that don’t always share the same stage. Across regions and sectors, the discussion returned to one question: what does it take to keep early-stage work moving in the right direction?
A few patterns stood out:
- Coordination was evident in how founders, funders and institutions move together
- Talent made clear they are choosing Alabama for more than just a job
- Capital is no longer about access alone, but about timing and intent
Innovate Alabama’s role was not to control the discussion, but to make space for it — and to work alongside local ecosystem partners to ensure it leads somewhere useful.
After nearly a decade of watching Sloss Tech evolve, one lesson remains true: Alabama’s innovation story moves further when it’s written together.
Let’s make the next line count.
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