February 2019 - Ben Franklin Technology helps startups change the world


michael kulczyckyjPSU Innovation Park, Journeys Volume 14 – February, 2019 - Every year for the past 30 years, Ben Franklin Technology Partners has teamed up with the minds behind some of Pennsylvania’s biggest ideas, fueling their projects with the funding they need to take the next big step. The money—up to four yearly infusions of cash totaling $500,000—is used for things like software development, prototype development, beta testing and payroll. In the most practical terms, the funding is buying time, expertise and the ability to focus on the project.

This year, six projects were approved to receive both funding and Ben Franklin’s signature support services with expertise in areas like marketing, human resources, accounting and advertising.

Spread over the state, these new ideas in tech range from a comprehensive college and career resource for the state’s high school students to a patented LED light that helps people see the entire color spectrum at low light levels. While these projects were all different from each other, they share a common thread—an unmistakable, contagious passion for innovation. Ben Franklin would be proud.

Dashboard OSM Simplifies E-Commerce

FullStac LLC in Harrisburg saw a need for e‐commerce management solutions for small and mid‐sized companies. “Online sales total more than $1.7 billion this year, and there are only six management solutions for all the demand, with no good solutions for small to mid‐sized companies,” EVP Mike Kulczyckyj says. “Either solutions are too cheap and don’t give the support companies need, or they are built for massive companies and too expensive for everyone else.”

They’ve developed Dashboard OSM, a cloud‐based online sales dashboard that manages multiple online accounts in a variety of marketplace platforms from one application. Features include listing to multiple marketplaces, automatic order entry, QuickBooks integration, label creation, inventory control and point of sale. The company’s product automates daily tasks, consolidates data and reduces the likelihood of error.

“Our partnership with Ben Franklin is a match made in heaven” says Mike Kulczyckyj, EVP of FullStac LLC
“If you are a reseller, you are selling online, period,” Kulczyckyj says. “And Dashboard OSM has all the features you need to manage those online sales, whether you are selling on your own site, on Amazon or sites like EBay. We’ve created this for businesses who need a powerful solution but are too small to have an IT department create something from scratch.”

Thanks to Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ investment, Dashboard OSM can grow. “Any tech or software business is extremely expensive. Software takes a lot of research and development... a lot of time,” Kulczyckyj says. “Our largest cost is payroll, and now we can bring on more employees and grow organically rather than spending valuable time looking for investors. Our partnership with Ben Franklin is a match made in heaven.”

Journeys, Volume 14, February 2019 is available for download in PDF

Copyright 2019, Innovation Park at Penn State, Journeys Volume 14, February 2019

michael kulczyckyj