Zach Taylor. Photo/Zach Taylor
Safety compliance reporting is a rarely considered but extraordinarily important piece of how industrial facilities function. Companies lose thousands or even millions of dollars per year due to out-of-date regulatory compliance — and that’s when things don’t go wrong.
University of Cincinnati alumnus Zach Taylor and his firmAnvlare hoping to energize and transform this space. While Anvl has countless ideas for spicing up the industrial risk management process, it remains on the lookout for talented employees.
Recruiting the right workers
UC's mission is to prove that Next Lives Here, and its STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) programs back up that claim. U.S. News & World Report designated UC as one of the top 100 most innovative universities in the United States for 2023 and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) ranked it as a top-100 producer of patents as well.
UC’s focus on research and technology regularly attracts businesses to the 1819 Innovation Hub, an on-campus hotbed of entrepreneurial activity. Anvl came to 1819 to “connect with soon-to-graduate students and interns” from among UC’s more than 50,000 students, according to Taylor.
Innovation is a key component of Anvl’s future, especially as it incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) into its industrial safety reporting technology. With UC’s focus on pioneering what’s next, Anvl knew it could access graduates ready to reimagine the process for tracking Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance.
On the front line of innovation
All companies need risk management reporting systems to check that they’re following government regulations and ensuring worker safety. That’s especially true in industrial facilities, where Anvl focuses. A compliance oversight could not only lead to millions in penalties but also potential injuries or death.
Anvl logo. Photo/Anvl
Anvl takes a two-pronged approach to OSHA compliance and goal setting for safety, quality and sustainability. On one side is the company’s mobile app for supervisors and front-line workers, which simplifies the safety compliance reporting process. In addition, managers and corporate leadership gain access to sophisticated analytics that are enhanced by AI technology.
In Taylor’s words, “Anvl exists to enable front-line workers and supervisors to do their jobs better, safer and smarter” by “transforming the culture of safety and quality management.” Many companies rely on paper-based documentation for safety compliance reporting, leading to delayed data analysis and wasted time. Anvl hopes to reinvent and streamline the process.
We sought to be surrounded by people and companies committed to taking big swings on things that matter.
Zach Taylor CEO, Anvl
App development and AI are themselves new technologies, which motivated Anvl to set up shop in UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub. The facility lets inventive college students help and learn from corporate partners as well as some of the region’s most promising startups.
“We sought to be surrounded by people and companies committed to taking big swings on things that matter,” Taylor said. “The team at 1819 has been incredibly [helpful] to work with and feels like an extension of our team to help us facilitate growth.”
UC students leading the way
Graduates from UC are well versed in innovation, whether through classroom lectures or by training in the field through a co-op. Taylor, himself a UC grad, is hoping to gain insights from young Bearcats who are fascinated by mobile app development, safety compliance strategies and AI.
UC itself is thrilled to expand its startup ecosystem. Nicola Ziady, the university’s chief marketing officer, said, “Collaborative alliances like Anvl contribute significantly to the 1819 ecosystem. With a wealth of resources, we have the capacity to cultivate talent, catalyze groundbreaking innovations and provide emerging companies with vital opportunities. Our mission lies in bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and tangible, real-world impact. We welcome Anvl as a startup partner.”
Taylor is likely to find the passionate students he craves at the 1819 Innovation Hub. Anvl’s future is as bright as its talent — luckily, UC is filled with the entrepreneurial innovators his company needs.
Featured image at top: Worker at an advanced manufacturing facility. Photo/Anvl
Innovation Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction.Next Lives Here.
