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ProUnitas: Using Data to Help Students Succeed

How can technology help mitigate the ongoing challenges that schools and students face both in and outside of the classroom? With poverty, hunger, homelessness, and other non-academic issues creating barriers to success in low-income neighborhoods, experts are acutely aware that schools are not always equipped to deal with these forces. Andrew Cunningham, Global Education Advisor at Aga Khan Foundation, said, “In many communities, Coca-Cola knows their supply chain better than the local education officials [know their] kids.” To provide schools with more knowledge and better forecasting tools, ProUnitas was founded by Adeeb Barqawi in Houston.

Barqawi was working with Teach for America at Kashmere High School in 2014 when he witnessed firsthand the impact of these issues on student success. During his experience there, he noted, “I was ready to teach, but my kids walked in hungry, or had mental health issues, but our school counselors were overwhelmed.” Located in a low-income neighborhood in Houston, Kashmere High School was designated as an “Improvement Required” school at the time. Counselors and teachers would often go above and beyond to help their students but the result was typically staff burnout or a lack of institutional memory when a teacher or counselor left the school. Barqawi explained that the problem wasn’t individual teachers or counselors; the problem was systematic: “We cannot build schools on superheroes.”

Part of the problem is lack of accessibility to resources. Kashmere High School’s former principal Reginald Bush said, “When you make a comparison, a school with the services versus the school without, one is going to be a higher-performing school, one is going to be a lower-performing school.” To help students get access to these services, ProUnitas gathers data to help the school identify the needs of their students sooner. It measures key metrics on a weekly basis: attendance, in-school behavior, and satisfactory homework performance. If the system finds a student deviates from any of the categories, a ProUnitas counselor visits the student and uncovers the cause of the behavior change, such as death in the family, homelessness, lack of clothing, and so on. From there, the counselor could connect the student with the necessary resources, whether it is mentorship, food services, health services, counselling, and others.

Because of its data approach, ProUnitas’ platform allows the school to keep track of a student’s progress instead of relying on an individual teacher’s memory. Its rationalized strategy to delivering services to at-risk students helps allot resources more efficiently. Albert Wei, Director of Partnerships and Special Projects at ProUnitas, acknowledged, “We couldn’t rely on a haphazard collection of programs to serve students’ needs. There needed to be coordination and someone analyzing feedback to see if and how students were impacted.” Because of its approach, ProUnitas is having a major impact on Kashmere High School, with the school only two students’ test scores away from no longer having the “Improvement Required” designation. Barqawi hopes to one day apply the scalable technology nationwide.

Are you building and innovating software to improve at-risk schools and help students overcome barriers to success? Your experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

How one doctor is making the Operating Room safer with Click-to-Comply

We all know the high-stakes that come with surgery in the operating room but unfortunately, 50 percent of all surgeries conducted in the United States experience some sort of medication error. This is in part due to improper labeling of medication. Dr. Peter Baek, founder of Vigilant Labels, recognized that syringe labels were a major factor for this error. To combat this, Dr. Baek’s startup created the Click-to-Comply product which more accurately and more quickly produces syringe labels.

“I chose to tackle a problem that exists at almost every hospital and surgery center where intravenous medications are given to patients,” Dr. Baek said. Specializing in anesthesia and having served in the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Baek understood that it was difficult for nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists to comply with strict regulations regarding medication labeling. For one, information on a syringe label is quite detailed, documenting the name of the preparer, the date of preparation, the name of the drug, and the barcode. Yet, common practice is that this information is printed by hand which results in illegibility as the details are scribbled and squeezed together to fit the medication label. Dr. Baek therefore started Vigilant Labels to make the process easier and more efficient. The user, whether a nurse, pharmacist, or doctor, simply clicks and the device creates a label with all the information presented in a clear manner. It is faster than writing by hand.

Click-to-Comply is now used in 14 Dallas Fort-Worth area hospitals. As Dallas Innovates stated, Vigilant Label’s Click-to-Comply product “is poised to improve compliance on a critical medical issue across the country.” Because of the company’s success, Dr. Baek has decided to pursue the Vigilant Labels’ mission full-time. He said, “Being an entrepreneur and starting a company is new for me. Quite frankly, my mindset as a doctor is to be cautious and risk adverse. However, to be a successful entrepreneur, I realize that I need to take risks and get out of my comfort zone.”

Are you also taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone to develop technologies improving the medical practice? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and receive up to 14% on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

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“To the naked eye, they are identical” – Lab-grown diamonds growing in popularity and proving to be more than just a “diamond in the rough”

Since the 1950s, scientists have attempted to create man-made diamonds by mimicking the earth’s high pressure and temperature formation process. Now, technology has advanced to the point where lab-grown diamonds are becoming a viable alternative to natural, mined jewels.

A 2017 bridal survey by The Knot found that 25 percent of brides and grooms would consider buying an engagement ring with a lab-grown diamond. 55 percent cited the lab-grown’s conflict-free reputation and 38 percent emphasized environmental sustainability as reasons for choosing man-made jewels. These jewels garnered worldwide attention after 2006’s film Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio which highlighted the ethical dilemmas of natural diamonds. The fictional story depicted the illicit diamond trade and its negative influence on Sierra Leone’s Civil War. DiCaprio has since invested in San Francisco’s Diamond Foundry, a laboratory that grows diamonds, in an effort to move towards more sustainable, ethical means of diamond production. “People want to know where their products come from,” Nadja Swarovski, Atelier Swarovski designer, said. “People care.”

Lab-grown diamonds are made in two common ways: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Both require a small diamond seed. HPHT takes the seed and uses extreme pressure and temperature levels to dissolve graphite carbon with a metal catalyst. The carbon atoms then bond with the diamond seed to form a bigger diamond. CVD, in contrast, uses a plasma reactor process where the free carbon atoms from the plasma form new diamond layers on the diamond seed.

Industry professionals asserted there is little difference in quality between lab-grown diamonds and natural ones. Diamonds are evaluated on the criteria of 4 Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat. The man-made jewels match the 4Cs criteria to their mined counterparts. “To the naked eye, they are identical,” said Susan Jacques, the Gemological Institute of America’s president and chief executive. The Institute’s chief laboratory and research officer Tom Moses added, ““The goal of labs is to grow something perfectly clear, transparent and colorless, without any occlusions (imperfections) visible at 10-times magnification.”

Aside from the ethical benefits of lab-grown diamonds, they are about 10 to 30 percent cheaper than natural diamonds of comparable size. Atelier Swarovski’s vice president and managing director François Le Troquer predicted that one day, lab-grown diamonds could even cost about 50 percent less than mined ones. Currently, lab-grown diamonds account only for 2 percent of the worldwide diamond supply. That number is expected to reach 10 percent by 2030 due to big jewelers like Swarovski and Barneys committing to man-made jewels. Austin’s Diamond District is also a major seller of lab-grown diamonds.

There are only a handful of laboratories in the world that are developing ways to make man-made diamonds. Are you testing and experimenting with forming diamonds in the laboratory to break into this emerging market? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit, even if your experiments are unsuccessful, and you could receive up to 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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Last Saturday’s Texas Border Tragedy reveals the flaws in U.S. border sensor technology

The FBI are currently investigating the mysterious death of Rogelio “Roger” Martinez, a Border Agent who was patrolling west Texas last Saturday. Martinez was found dead at the Big Bend sector, approximately 12 miles east of Van Horn. His partner, whose identity has not been disclosed, was found in critical condition and has since been hospitalized. The two had been responding to a border sensor near the Interstate 10 that had been triggered, indicating possible human activity in the area.

During a briefing last Tuesday, Emmerson Buie Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge, said, “There are a number of possible scenarios, but right now we are going to pursue it as an assault on a federal agent.” Both Martinez and his partner were found at the bottom of a 9-foot-deep culvert, a tunnel structure used for water drainage. Union spokesperson and veteran agent Chris Cabrera noted that Martinez’s partner had difficulty remembering the details of the incident. Possible explanations vary from an attack by illegal migrants to an accident where the Border Patrol agents fell into the culvert. Cabrera, however, cast doubt on the possibility that it was an accident. “There’s no way he fell,” Cabrera said. “Border Patrol agents are like mountain goats. They don’t fall. Especially two at the same spot.”

The Big Bend sector which runs along the American-Mexican border is not a “migrant hot spot”, given its mountainous terrain and 510-mile-stretch of the Rio Grande. The area has, however, seen an upsurge in drug smuggling in recent years. After Martinez’s death, President Trump tweeted, “Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!”

While Trump’s “Wall” is not necessarily the answer, what is clear is that the United States needs better border sensor and surveillance technology along its borders. The approximately 12,800 sensors along the southern border are outdated and ill-maintained. Some have stopped functioning due to natural circumstances like rainfall or insects chewing on the sensors’ wires. Those that do work are still flawed, particularly as sensors cannot accurately distinguish between the movements of humans, vehicles, and animals. Because of this, border agents often cannot determine whether the alarm is detecting a real threat or a false positive until they arrive on the scene itself. In 2005, a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General review reported that 34 percent of alerts were false alarms. Illegal immigrants accounted for only 4 percent. Significantly, the causes of 62 percent of alarms were unknown, meaning that border agents are unprepared when they arrive on-scene.

The ageing border infrastructure can lead to fatal results. In 2012, Nicholas Ivie, a Border Patrol Agent, was killed in friendly fire when he was investigating an alarm from a border sensor in Arizona. Ivie and another agent had responded to the alert separately. Due to miscommunication and a lack of surveillance infrastructure, the two agents mistook the other as a hostile visitor and engaged in open fire. Ivie was killed as a result.

New surveillance technology, evidently, is needed to provide border agents with more information when they respond to alerts. One potential project was the SBInet, a system consisting of heat and motion detectors, a newly redesigned radar, and cameras. Though well-intentioned, this project faced a number of technical challenges, ranging from transmission problems triggered by bad weather to increasing maintenance costs. Christopher Wilson, border-security expert and deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center, argued, “One of the lessons of SBInet was you’re better off going small than big, and you’re better off going off-the-shelf than innovative.” However, the current status quo is still inadequate.

Another potential project is the Integrated Fixed Towers (IFT) system currently deployed in parts of Arizona. The project was developed by Elbit Systems, a company responsible for the surveillance system along the Israeli-Palestinian border. Ideally, the project would use border sensor technology with greater accuracy and detectors that could distinguish between human, animal, and mechanical activity. According to Border Agent Jose Verdugo based in Nogales, Arizona, the IFT system is like “turning on a light switch” because it allows agents to see previously unknown areas along the border.

Are you developing more efficient and ethical surveillance techniques that could solve the problems of border control? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and receive up to 14% of your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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“We want to build Texas into a global brand” – F&R Distilling Co. opens Whiskey Ranch in Fort Worth

“I think people don’t realize what it takes to make a great whiskey,” Leonard Firestone said. “It’s a little bit of art, it’s a little bit of science. It’s time, of course.” Firestone is one of the owners behind Firestone and Robertson Distilling Co. founded in 2010. The company is known for its TX Whiskey and TX Straight Bourbon. The owners recently opened a huge Whiskey Ranch five miles from downtown Fort Worth. The facility was four and a half years in the making and will offer Texans and tourists an immersive whiskey experience.

In explaining why they started the company, Robertson said, “An ah-ha moment when we were in the process of building the company and kind of putting all the pieces together was the fact that Texas is the second largest consuming state of whiskey in the country, but very little of it was made here.” To change that, F&R developed its own distillery. It first debuted its signature TX Blended Whiskey in 2013 which went onto win the Best American Craft Whiskey title as well as double gold at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco that same year. As the Robb Report described the whiskey, “With a luscious array of flavors—chocolate, orange, cinnamon, and clove—yet a surprising lightness on the palate, the 82-proof whiskey is ideal for sipping neat or on the rocks—though it also makes an excellent cocktail.”

Robertson explained, “It’s important to know the reason all of this was done. We have a vision to distribute our whiskey around the world. We want to build Texas into a global brand.” When F&R first started, there were only about 10 active distillery licenses. Now, there are over 100. With the Whiskey Ranch, F&R hopes to solidify its reputation as one of the pioneers in the Texan distillery scene. The ranch Is expansive, stretching 112 acres of land and comes complete with a bar, a store, event space, an 18-hole golf course, and even a secret entrance leading to a speak-easy style dining room. It is currently only open on Thursdays and Fridays until December. Public daily tours will commence in January 2018, allowing visitors to see how whiskey is made from fermentation to bottling. Of course, visitors will also be able to sample the whiskeys. The new facility is expected to increase the company’s production from three barrels to 40 a day.

Did you know that the experimentation involved in creating a whiskey recipe as well as building the Whiskey Ranch facility could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit? If you are also developing similar experiments, you could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit, even if your whiskeys aren’t yet in production. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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Coco – The Pixar movie that blends art and technical advancement

From Toy Story to Inside Out, Pixar Studios has become a universally acclaimed, visually-stunning storyteller of animation. But less known is the sheer amount of innovation, problem-solving, and laborious commitment needed to achieve Pixar’s ground-breaking heights. The company’s upcoming film Coco was a testament to this, where Pixar encountered quite a few new technical challenges that had to be overcome with new solutions.

Coco follows the story of Miguel, a young Mexican boy with aspirations to become a musician. However, after his great-great-grandfather left the family to pursue a career as a musician, the family forbade music and discouraged Miguel’s dreams. All this changes when Miguel is thrust into the Land of the Dead on Dia de los Muertos (the Mexican holiday known as Day of the Dead). He embarks on a journey back to the land of the living, searching for his great-great-grandfather in the process.

Because the story takes place in the Land of the Dead, animators faced a number of setbacks. For one, skeletons comprised a major component of the story and Pixar had to come up with a way for the skeletons to move in a convincing yet distinct manner from humans made up of muscles and flesh. Gini Santos, one of the supervising animators on Coco, said, “Over the years we’ve spent so much time and research figuring out our human characters and how their skin squashes and stretches, so this totally broke the rules for us. We knew with skeletons that all of a sudden, those boundaries of something organic are gone — the skin, the muscles, the tendons. And if there’s nothing holding it together, what can you do with bones?” To render each skeleton unique, the animators had to design distinctive movements for each skeleton to reflect their individual personalities. Animators, moreover, diverged from conventional skeleton designs by giving each a set of eyes and clothing.

According to International Business Times, each skeleton was composed of about 127 bones, 80 of which were visible while the remaining bones were covered by clothing. Manual painting of the bones was out of the question due to the large number of bones involved and consequently, a special software was needed. Initially, the company tested using Presto, the same software used for its film Brave (2012), but this couldn’t handle the requirements of Coco. Clothes would get tangled in-between bones and did not achieve the animators’ desired look. Instead, the developers tested a new program where negative spaces could be filled in more efficiently and the bones on the characters’ arms and legs were better infused. This helped orient the clothes on the bones in a more natural way.

Pixar also had to tackle lighting challenges. The Land of the Dead was elaborately designed with a multitude of nooks, crevices, and cracks that needed to be filled with lights of varying gradients. At least seven million individual lights had to be incorporated on the film, ranging from pin lights, plaza lights, street lights, and so forth. A computer could not process all these individual lights without a boost from special coding. Pixar programmers, adopting a practice from The Good Dinosaur (2015), developed a code whereby the different lights could be grouped into fifteen types, making it more manageable for the computer to process than seven million individual lights.

Are you a software company experimenting with different codes to improve animation like Pixar’s efforts? Did you know your trials could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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How Not to Get Away with Murder: The Serial Killer Detector

Each year, five thousand people get away with committing murder in the United States. And it’s likely they’ll strike again. Recognizing that a third of homicide cases goes unsolved, Thomas Hargrove is determined to develop a serial killer detector to find these murderers.

Since 2010, Hargrove, a homicide archivist, has been gathering information from municipal records on murders committed as far back as 1976. His catalogue contains information on 751,785 cases, making it the largest archive in the United States. He conceived the idea of using information to find serial killers while he was working as a journalist. Looking at the data provided by the FBI’s Supplementary Homicidal Report one day, he speculated whether statistical trends could help narrow down the searches. Hargrove told The New Yorker, “The first thing I thought was, I wonder if it’s possible to teach a computer to spot serial victims.”

He began writing code to sift through his catalogue. He started by telling the computer to search for statistical anomalies to vet out “ordinary murders” that arise due to love triangles, gang fights, and robberies. The serial killer detector then aggregates data based on method, geographical location, time, and the victim’s sex to highlight patterns. This code forms the backbone of the Murder Accountability Project (MAP).

Developing the serial killer detector was difficult. Isaac Wolf said, “[Hargrove] would write some code, and it would run through what seemed like an endless collection of records. And we did not have expensive computer equipment, so it would run for days.” From these countless tests, Hargrove was able to narrow down his search parameters to sex, weapon, age, and location. There were certain patterns that emerged, such as women accounted for 70% of serial killer victims. Weapon was typically strangulation or bludgeoning. Significantly, Hargrove found that geographical location offered key insight into tracking down a serial killer. According to a New York City homicide detective, “Serial killers tend to stick to a killing field. They’re hunting for prey in a concentrated area, which can be defined and examined.” Murderers are less likely to act the further they are from the “hunting ground”.

Although not yet perfected, Hargrove’s algorithm has been useful in linking instances of murder to the possibility of a serial killer. For instance, Lake County in Indiana had fifteen cases of women who were strangled to death between 1980 and 2008. Studying the data, Hargrove suggested to the police of the city of Gary, which is located in Lake County, the possibility that these women were killed by the same person. The police rejected his report but four years later, the police in Hammond, a town near Gary, arrested a man named Darren Vann who was found to have been the perpetrator behind the Lake County killings.

There are still limitations to the serial killer detector. For one, it relies on data supplied by municipalities. Some cities are less capable of solving murders and documenting cases than others. The algorithm’s reliance on geographical data also makes it more difficult to find serial killers who travel farther than the typical hunting ground radius. Nevertheless, it’s a huge breakthrough.

Hargrove said, “Our primary purpose is to gather as many records as possible. It’s seductive how powerful these records are, though. Just through looking, you can spot serial killers. In various places over various years, you can see that something god-awful has happened.”

Are you experimenting with algorithms to solve unsolved mysteries like Hargrove? Did you know that your experiments, even the unsuccessful ones, could qualify for the R&D Tax Credit and you could receive up to 14% of your research expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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Turning compost into compostable bioplastics: the startup that’s changing the cycle of waste

Plastic. We use it in virtually everything from our toys, cooking ware, food packaging, and all else in-between. But proper disposal of oil-based plastics is an ongoing challenge, especially given its harmful effects on the environment. Not only does plastic production take up energy and resources, the product itself does not biodegrade but simply breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, making it poisonous for wildlife consumption and our ecosystem by extension. In recent years, scientists and entrepreneurs have explored developing bioplastics as alternatives to oil-based ones. While the bioplastic industry currently only accounts for 1% of global plastics production, it is quickly expanding and is expected to grow to a worth of $7.2 billion by 2022.

Bioplastics are made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) which are produced in nature by microorganisms, such as by bacterial fermentation of sugars and lipids. When disposed, these plastics degrade faster than plastic. However, there is still confusion among consumers about the limits of bioplastics and what constitutes as “biodegradable”. For many, there is a misconception that “biodegradable” means these plastics degrade quickly and can be disposed anywhere. As Rob Opsomer from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation told The Guardian, “It is important that any claims made for these products are really clear, so people won’t be throwing things on the street because they think it will degrade. It won’t.” Jo Ruxton, co-founder of Plastic Oceans, asserted that some of these bioplastics are as harmful in the ocean as oil-based plastics: “They can be mistaken for food and ingested. They can entangle animals. They can do everything that plastic does – they just don’t last as long.”

One company in California, Full Cycle Bioplastics, is working to improve bioplastics. Twin brothers Jeff and Dane Anderson has successfully tested a PHA technique to convert organic waste like food scraps into fully compostable material. In other words, not only is it able to biodegrade, the bioplastic is literally made from compost. Jeff Anderson, the COO of the company, said, “PHA [plastic] is extremely compostable and it’s also marine degradable. Meaning if it ever falls into the ocean it actually acts as fish food and has no toxic effects.” While not yet in full-scale production, Full Cycle Bioplastics presents an improvement to a common problem posed not only by oil-based plastics but also bioplastics. It is cheaper than other bioplastics because it’s made from organic waste and not more costly sources like algae or shrimp. While bioplastics are a good start, there still needs to be a shift in the culture. According to The Guardian, these bioplastics “may simply help to perpetuate the disposable culture at the root of our waste crisis.”

Are you experimenting with ways to improve bioplastics or to change how plastics are disposed? Your experiments, even the unsuccessful ones, could qualify for the R&D Tax Credit and you could receive up to 14% of your research expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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With Four Companies and Abandoned Bikes, Dallas’ Bike-Sharing System Needs Improvement

Three months ago, Dallas didn’t have much of a bike-sharing culture. Now, the city has four companies vying for the bike-sharing market: Ofo, Lime Bike, Spin, and Vbikes. With Ofo’s 1,000 yellow bikes, Lime Bike’s expected expansion to 5,000 green and yellow ones, Spin’s orange bikes, and V-Bike’s silver with yellow wheels, Dallas is set to become one colorful city. City Councilman Philip Kingston commented, “We were the only ones without bike share. Suddenly we are the hottest competitive market for dock-less bike share.”

Bike-sharing has increased in popularity throughout the United States because of its benefits as an alternative to congested traffic and conventional commuting. Cycling is a clean, green form of transportation, reducing car use and traffic as well as relieving pressure on overcrowded public transit systems. Cyclists also gain substantial health benefits from the daily exercise. The United States has seen the growth of 55 bike-sharing companies over the past decade. In a span of five years, bike-share trips have increased from 2.3 million to 28 million throughout the country.

Whereas bike-sharing in Fort Worth and other cities require bikes to be stored at stationary racks in specific locations, Dallas’ four companies adopted a dock-less technique, meaning users can leave the bikes virtually anywhere. All four of Dallas’ bike-sharing companies operate using a smartphone app where users can activate a bike, pay for hourly use, and then leave the bike at any location for the next user. This dock-less system is beneficial in some ways since is more convenient and public subsidies aren’t needed to sustain racks and infrastructure. Yet, because it depends on users to properly maintain and store the bikes, there is less regulation. Vann Vaughan, a regular bike-sharing rider, said, “Just as long as it’s out of the way, that’s probably the most important thing to me. When it’s in the middle of a walkway, that’s where it becomes a nuisance.”

However, the bikes have consistently been found ill-maintained and scattered throughout the city. Despite the benefits of the dock-less system, Zac Crain, senior editor of D Magazine, argued that there needs to be more improvement for Dallas’ bike-sharing culture. He wrote, “The streets are littered with bikes from VBike and Spin and Lime Bike, not parked so much as abandoned in the middle of a sidewalk, at least half of the time tipped over. It’s not just in downtown. Bikes are abandoned on the Katy Trail, randomly in neighborhoods, dumped anywhere and everywhere. In the Trinity. In White Rock Lake.”

Evidently, a solution is needed to this problem. Perhaps the answer lies in technology. Are you experimenting and developing an app that could improve the efficiency of bike-sharing systems in Dallas and keep the city cleaner and greener? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and can receive up to 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or try our free online eligibility test.

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Malibu Poké in Dallas: the seafood restaurant where they’ll never forget your face (thanks to their facial recognition technology)

Seafood lovers mark November 28, 2017 off your calendars because Malibu Poké is opening up in Dallas’ Turtle Creek Village! Fans and new converts to poké, a raw fish salad originating from the beaches of Hawaii (and not the physical act of poking someone), are expected to flock to the new location. While the Lone Star State is known more for steak and red meats, the seafood trend is exploding throughout North Texas, with the region already boasting nearly 6,284 poké restaurants. But what makes Malibu Poké different? The answer, according to TJ’s Seafood Market & Grill owner Jon Alexis: a tasty product and state-of-the-art tech, including facial recognition technology.

Malibu Poké is a quick-serve concept, committed to delivering high quality food quickly and efficiently. To do this, the new Dallas location has installed self-serve kiosks which are embedded with facial recognition technology so that the machines can “remember” a guest’s order history. With these kiosks, Alexis hopes that long lines and wait times would be reduced so that orders bring the freshest foods. The self-serve kiosks would also help guests build customized poke bowls and get more nutritional information about ingredients. For those who prefer human interaction, there will always be a Malibu “Poké-Pro” to assist guests.

Aside from its state-of-the-art technology, the restaurant’s menu crafted by FT33’s Chef Matt McCallister is set to be taste-bud pleaser. Alexis said, “Quite simply, it’s a better bowl of poké—the ‘fishmonger’s poké.’ Our emphasis is on freshness, nutrition, and sustainability. Matt’s menu clearly differentiates us from Dallas’ other poké.” In addition to “classic” poke, the menu will offer “even bolder flavors such as smoked bonito aioli, yellow curry, Japanese sancho pepper, Asian pear, daikon, marinated shiitake mushrooms and more.” Malibu Poké is committed to using high quality ingredients, sourcing them from local farms where possible, as well as ensuring healthy eating with its 100% gluten free policy and vegan options.

“Malibu Poke has become so much more than we originally envisioned. With creative input from Matt and my super passionate partners, we have created something truly unique,” said Alexis.

Are you experimenting with developing a delicious seafood menu or combining technology in your restaurant business? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and can receive up to 14% back on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or try our free online eligibility test.

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Dallas Food Technology Seafood