Umberson Technology Solutions LLC is a culmination of my experience within Business Development, Sales, Marketing, Product Management, and Beta-site Launches for biotech and high-tech applications. URS LLC has been replaced by Umberson Technology Solutions LLC.
I am generally focused upon product development, beta partner development, launch, business development and sales of new Industrial technologies in Agri-tech, Biotech, Food Safety, Animal Health, Energy, and Medical.
I'm a National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corp) Industry Mentor for launches of biotech & high-tech start-ups. I recently joined ARise as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support start-ups in biotech, agtech, SaaS, High tech, etc. ARise is funded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to help tech and tech-enabled startups and entrepreneurs grow their businesses and rise to success through the statewide program.
Since 2009, I've marketed and supported development of technology products for VC start-ups in the Food Safety, Industrial Micro, FSQR Software Automation, and Animal Health segments. The focus has been upon FSQA, HACCP Processing Specialist, Biotechnology, food processing-bacteria detection, animal health- live production pathogens and vaccine efficacy. The FSQA pathogen diagnostics, FSQR SaaS analytical software, and connectivity to blockchain was enhanced by my experience in HACCP Audits and Process Validations.
I was a co-founder of a biotech diagnostics compay in Little Rock that we took to an IPO on the TSXV. We developed a new pathogen diagnostics platform I initially marketed for bacteria detection in the food industry. Later I pursued applications in drug development, medical device sterilization and the energy and biofuel sectors.
My lithium and brine well comfort stems from my lithium battery experience via contract manufacturing for laptops, Motorola cell phones and Motorola RNSG (military radio) combined with energy sector business development. I initially pursued bacteria detection in Biofuels, O&G microbial induced corrosion (MIC), and found O&G microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) was another application.
Later, I was exposed to the new fracking technologies, because our family has a farm in the Barnett Shale of North Texas. The drilling operation required microbiological testing for sulfur/sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) as corrosive agents in the shale infrastructure. SRB use sulfur as an energy source as they corrode equipment and wreak havoc in the retention ponds. The presence of sulfur species requires “souring” control to protect the production reservoirs from being soured and not re-injecting soured well fluids. Later my work in the Nano sector exposed me to nano-encapsulation of active components and fracking proppants opportunities.
My food processing and live production experience uniquely positioned me to provide advice for development of multi-hurdle HACCP systems that utilize different technologies as a result of my interventions experience in Thermal inactivation, Antimicrobials, Probiotics, Bacteriophage, UV, and Ozone. Focused upon pathogen diagnostics and interventions in various food processing segments, protein live production, and animal health. Additional experience in nano technologies, industrial micro, and avian influenza. My experience in nanotechnology emphasized nano-encapsulation of active components in medical, pharma, topical ointments for skin rehabilitation, nutraceutical, and petrochemical applications.
Prior to 2009, I was in high tech contract mfg. and rapid prototypes for medical device, consumer electronics, automotive electronics, retail merchandising, steel processing, agri-equipment, and construction. My lithium battery experience started during contract manufacturing for laptops, Motorola cell phones and Motorola RNSG (military radio). Unique experience in contract mfg. processes such as rapid prototyping, stereo lithography (SLA/SLS)/3D printing, design support, thermoset rubber molding, plastic injection molding, stamping, steel fabrication, and painting/shielding for custom components to OEM manufacturers.
I can help retail segment companies develop new products, develop retail marketing and merchandising systems via my experience in off-shore manufacturing, rapid prototyping, supply chain, marketing, online marketing and social media.
Previously served as the Sales Manager of the world's largest Retail Merchandising company - LA Darling (Division of Marmon Retail Services) and later represented Cliff Price wholesale lines. I sold services and lines to Macy's, BCBG, Hallmark, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Ann Taylor, Kohl's, JCP, Wal-Mart, Tesco, Meijer, Dillards, Neiman Marcus, Kroger and Fresh & Easy to name a few.
Training
Trained in Sales Force, Sales for Large Account Management Process (Miller Heiman Group), Customer Centric Selling (CCS Inc.), and broad experience in Solution and Consultative sales processes. FSMA/Food Defense (TAG) FSMA and GFSI Comparisons, SQF Institute SQF Level 2 Final, Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule Comparison, HACCP, ISO/QS 9000, Failure Mode Effects and Analysis (FMEA), and GE's Productivity Solutions.
Experienced National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corp) Industry Mentor for launches of biotech start-ups.
Consulting Areas or Applications
· New
Technology Development and Launch
I'm a National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corp) Industry Mentor
for launches of biotech & high-tech start-ups. Product Development, launch and sales of new Industrial technologies in Agri-tech, Biotech, Food Safety, Animal Health, Energy, and Medical.
Co-founder of Vivione Biosciences that developed a flow cytometer based
diagnostic platform with a focus on drug development and food processing
product and environmental assays. Diagnostic assay development, antimicrobial development, FSQR SaaS software development, intervention strategies, and live production vaccine efficacy were my core areas in food and live production agriculture.
Experience with protein engineering for affinity/docking, assay development support, developing beta partners, beta testing, etc. Consulting for a nano and bio-conjugated nano particle company for drug
development, skin care therapeutics and oil field applications.
My Lithium production knowledge is a combination of my lithium battery experience and oil field experience. The lithium battery experience via contract manufacturing of laptops, Motorola cell phones and Motorola RNSG (military radio). My oil field applications started with bacteria detection in Biofuels, microbial induced corrosion (MIC), and found microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). Fracking operations require microbiological testing for sulfur/sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) as corrosive agents in U.S. shale infrastructure.
SRB use sulfur as an energy source as they corrode equipment and wreak havoc in the retention ponds. The presence of sulfur species requires “souring” control to protect the production reservoirs from being soured and not re-injecting soured well fluids. My work in the Nano sector exposed me to nano-encapsulation of active components and fracking proppants opportunities.
·
·
Marketing
& Advertising
o
4 years of advertising and marketing experience within a AAAA accredited
ad agency.
o
BSBA in Marketing Management from the University of Arkansas
o Trained in Sales, Marketing and Internet Marketing
o
Website
and social media management
o
Product
Marketing/Product Management
·
Sales
o Started my career in Business Development and Sales for contract manufacturing of medical, aerospace,
and industrial components.
o
Later, moved into Merchandising Systems for retail and then wholesale representation
of retail products to big box retailers.
§ Sold multiple wholesale lines and successfully placed them on Walmart.com, Bass Pro Shops, Dillards, Belk, Neiman Marcus, etc.
§
The
products varied from entertaining, gift, décor, home, and apparel products to Walmart
and Walmart.com.
·
Food
Safety & Animal Health
Rare
experience in both Live and Slaughter protein as well as unique experience in diagnostics and multiple antimicrobial technologies. My interventions experience is within Thermal inactivation, Antimicrobials, Probiotics, Bacteriophage, UV, and Ozone. Most people just specialize in one type of intervention, but had to learn multiple types when validating their systems. I can be objective in proposing efficient multi-technology based multi-hurdle HACCP systems because of my experience with multiple interventions.
My experience in food processing allows me to see the causes of the black & white numbers in the pre-audit data which creates efficiency during site assessments on the floor. I study the customer’s Food Safety Plan to see how we can “help” them reduce risk. I performed free Audits for prospects to “open the door” for sales. Later my job was to audit HACCP kill steps and hurdles so we could perform formal process validations for low moisture foods -ingredients, flours, nuts, etc. I would audit and review the customer’s HACCP process, then prepare a validation proposal for approval by our Scientists. I would support the processor on-site and gather the validation samples.
Started my biotech career as a hands-on technical salesperson in start-up biotech and pathogen diagnostics. I spent time in product development performing non-glamorous tasks of sampling fecal matter from dairy farms, feedlots, chicken houses and the processing lines for each protein segment. I used our diagnostics to determine salmonella load on the live chickens as they came into the slaughter plant.
I've been fortunate to develop experience in dairy, produce, prepared foods, low moisture foods-spices, ingredients,
grain, milling/flour, cannabis, pet food and nutraceuticals. I've crawled in spinach fields for samples, swabbed lettuce trailers, swabbed flume processing lines, and sampled for chemical analysis. The produce segment is finally using
probiotics, ozone, UV and bacteriophage in tree fruit and berries that have
harborage texture on their skins and petial stems. My experience with value-added items like Candied Apples exposed me to different epidemiological influences. Experience in retail food
safety and those that focus on listeria in the freezer, refrigeration, and especially in
the deli.
A steward of Food Safety and have been elected President of the local IAFP chapter 3 times. Hold a board position at the local IAFP chapter and have also served on IAFP’s National Affiliate Council. Write of food safety articles in IAFP and Food Safety Magazines. Recently elected to serve on the organizing committee of the International Avian Influenza Summit.
o
14 years of experience in validations of
interventions, pathogen diagnostics, intervention technologies and FSQR
software.
o
My strengths are process control, environmental
monitoring, sanitation confirmation, and interventions.
o Unique experience in understanding processing on the floor, so I can optimize pathogen and process
control via screening assays, environmental monitoring and
o
Performance
Based Sanitation -passionate about efficient use of high-speed screening as a risk-based targeting of environmental monitoring that would allow processors to adjust interventions in real time to support
PBS.
o Conducted proof of concept studies and validations of new intervention systems;
which exposed me to various antimicrobial and sanitation approaches in food processing.
I take great pride in creating efficient approaches to promote, market or launch new products. I learned "guerilla marketing" during my time in advertising, which is the utilization of the most cost-effective marketing approaches in the early stage of a crawl-walk-run scenario. This blog is a no-nonsense example of guerilla marketing, because it is free and is easy for anyone to use. I believe the best approaches in energy, food safety, animal health, technology marketing, etc. are to utilize simple efficient methods.
Let's talk about how I can help you.