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Former NFL lineman settles in as producer of Orlando-built EA classic Madden

Marco Santana
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Former NFL lineman settles in as producer of Orlando-built EA classic Madden

Clint Oldenburg’s summers have changed dramatically in the last decade.

Instead of heading to an NFL training camp, hoping to win a job on an offensive line that would protect the likes of Donovan McNabb, Tom Brady or Brett Favre, he is in Orlando, helping build a best-selling video game that allows millions of gamers across the world to live out their fantasies of being those guys.

A screenshot of Madden NFL 23, which was released last month.

Oldenburg spent six years in the late 2000s in professional football, including four years in the NFL and two in the Canadian Football League. Now, he’s one of the producers of the blockbuster Orlando-built Madden NFL series of video games.

With the NFL season’s return, Oldenburg said he looks forward to watching the game every year from two new perspectives: a game builder and a fan.

“When I was playing, only my game mattered,” he said. “I didn’t watch any other game unless I was in film study for the next opponent. Now, just like everyone else, Sunday, Monday night and Thursday night is time to watch as much football as I can.”

Working on an icon

Oldenburg has worked on the high-profile video game series named after iconic NFL head coach John Madden since 2013.

However, this was the first game he had to work on since Madden passed away December in California.

He said Madden 23 was a tribute to the Hall of Fame coach. Madden lead the Oakland Raiders from 1969-78 and still holds the team record for coaching victories with 103.

Madden NFL 23 is the first in the series since the legendary coach passed away in December.

The coach for many years met with developers to imbue his style into the game named after him.

“We all have so much respect for Coach,” Oldenburg said. “To be a very small part of his legacy means the world to me and, really, to our entire team. This has been a year we’ll never forget.”

The Madden NFL series has become one of the classic video games in the industry.

In 2016, the World Video Game Hall of Fame included Madden in its second nomination class.

In 2018, the Hall inducted Madden alongside Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy VII and the 1962 classic Spacewar.

An evolving industry

“It’s an understatement to simply say that we have come a long way,” Oldenburg said when asked about how the game has changed since he first worked on it in 2013.

In that time, the game evolved through two console generations, the pandemic and two studio locations after EA’s Orlando headquarters moved downtown last year.

Specifically, Oldenburg works on gameplay and Madden’s special “Face of the Franchise” mode.

In that mode, players become an NFL prospect, potentially get drafted and play out a storyline.

He said the popularity of football has contributed to the longevity of the game’s popularity.

In addition, Madden’s own Madden’s touch likely contributed to its longevity, not to mention its popularity.

“Coach Madden is an icon in the sports world and was able to reach an extremely broad audience to bring people to the game of football through teaching the sport, both as a coach and a broadcaster,” he said. “I think Coach Madden is smiling from above as he sees the love and care put into this game.”

Orlando firm pivots, then lands in Techstars Atlanta

Marco Santana
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Orlando firm pivots, then lands in Techstars Atlanta

The decision was not an easy one for Brandon Storms.

After building a startup that revolved around creating a services marketplace in Orlando, the entrepreneur took part in an 8-week program meant to solidify a company’s path.

While there, however, an investor suggested that the company pivot and offer the platform they had built as a white label product for others trying to build marketplaces.

“Building a platform is incredibly expensive. It takes a great amount of time from start to finish,” Storms told Orlando Tech News.

While Storms said it wasn’t an easy decision, he and his team took the plunge and created a new startup Retavo.

Now, the company has signed four clients and will participate in the upcoming cohort of Atlanta’s Techstars powered by JP Morgan. The program begins today.

“So far, it’s been a pretty good decision,” he said.

Hello, Techstars

Retavo CEO Brandon Storms

Techstars powered by JP Morgan has long been considered one of the top accelerator programs around.

Several Orlando tech companies have gone through the accelerator. The program prepares entrepreneurs and their teams for life as a small business.

In a blog post on their website, Techstars officials said the 12 companies that will participate in the program came out of a lengthy application process.

“We are honored and humbled by the opportunity to spend the next 13 weeks working closely with these incredible founders, helping them on their journey to transform their industries, elevate their communities, and change the world,” the site read.

The mentorship in Techstars powered by JP Morgan programs usually includes experts and experienced entrepreneurs in similar fields.

The company will have its demo day in the program Dec. 8.

“The biggest thing I’m looking to take away from it is the wealth of knowledge and feedback from their tremendous network,” Storms said. “Building a startup is hard enough and the program gives you the ability to learn from those who have been there or are on the same journey you are on.”

“It felt validating for my team. All all the hard work has paid off up to this point,” Storms said of being accepted into Techstars powered by JP Morgan. “Building a startup is tough enough and getting into a world-class accelerator program like Techstars to help us navigate this awesome journey as we scale is exactly what we were looking for.”

Still, making the pivot was not exactly an easy decision, he said.

After putting a ton of work into Assistt, the team had been determind to see it succeed.

“My role as the leader of the company is to put the company first. I have to set any emotions aside,” said Storms, whose company employs eight. “I knew this pivot gave us the best chance to be a very successful company. I’m glad my team and cofounder Bryan Walsh supported me in that decision.”

Hackathon vets build video games for armed forces: ‘This is my sporting event’

Marco Santana
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Hackathon vets build video games for armed forces: ‘This is my sporting event’

Nicholas Walton has been building video games since he was 13.

So, spending his weekend at Central Florida Tech Grove creating a game for Indienomicon Foundation’s Armed Forces Jam was exactly where he wanted to be.

“I just love making games and being with the people in the community,” said Walton, now 20 years old. “I love having an idea and then seeing it on screen.”

By Walton’s count, he has participated in eight hackathons.

The events bring teams together to build a video game or tech experience in a weekend.

The organizers behind the second Armed Forces Jam partnered with Orlando’s military community to create challenges teams could tackle during the weekend.

Among them were creating a Metaverse experience, gamefying military recruitment and creating a sensor-based digital twin.

“It feels great to work on a team, get to know each other and learn to trust each other,” he said.

FOR A FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND PRIZES, CLICK HERE.

An enthusiastic fan of the process

Walton’s enthusiasm for game jams, generally, and Indienomicon, specifically, earned recognition from others.

Participants at Indienomicon’s Armed Forces Jam built games for several platform, including virtual reality-based products.

Chad Hoover, one of Indienomicon Foundation’s organizers of the jam, said his presence helps keep the event fun and interesting.

“He is a key piece of this,” Hoover said. “He can support teams in a unique manner having been a veteran in the game jam space.”

Indienomicon Foundation has been hosting game jams – which challenges teams to build a video game, usually one related to a theme, in a single weekend – for eight years.

Along with the Armed Forces Jam, the group hosts hackathons with health and space themes.

At the end of the weekend, winners receive cash prizes and, at least for the Armed Forces Jam, will show off what they built at the huge industry conference I/ITSEC.

Last year’s winners said they landed contract work based upon their experience at I/ITSEC.

“They stepped up this year,” Hoover said of the region’s military community. “Because it’s the military, they needed to figure out how valuable this event was [during the event’s inaugural 2021 year]. They are able to light fires and were really supportive.”

Roughly 100 people took part in the Armed Forces Jam this year. That is about double the number of attendees to a health-related event in the summer.

‘This is my sporting event’

The Armed Force Jam drew about 80 attendees to the Central Florida Tech Grove.

Another regular at the events is Juan Rivera, a media design instructor for the Orange County library in downtown Orlando, said the jams represent his way of enjoying himself.

“This is my sporting event,” he said. “I do it for fun and for training my skills. It’s a good way to learn new things.”

Rivera often teaches younger people at the library’s digital tech-focused learning space known as Melrose Center. He said seeing students like Walton, who attends Valencia College, at these events represents its positive impact on the community.

“It’s great to see people who are not just trying to learn but putting it into practice,” said Rivera, whose mine detector game for virtual reality platforms took this year’s top prize.

For Hoover, having advocates and supporters like Walton and Rivera create a base of people he knows will push the organization’s message beyond his own networks.

“He embodies what a game jam is in its truest sense,” Hoover said of Walton. “He uses his core skillset, is usually a lone wolf. His projects are usually close to his heart, very retro and unique. He really knows how to use his skills, which makes his games stand out.”

Armed Forces Jam list of winners, challenges and prizes

Marco Santana
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Armed Forces Jam list of winners, challenges and prizes

The gaming community submitted 13 projects for consideration during the Indienomicon Foundation’s Armed Forces Jam this weekend. Here are the winners. FULL STORY ABOUT THE EVENT HERE.

Making a case for attending an Orlando tech hackathon

Marco Santana
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Making a case for attending an Orlando tech hackathon

The upcoming Armed Forces Jam at Central Florida Tech Grove represents a significant moment for Orlando tech for several reasons.

It’s another step toward bringing Orlando tech back to the level of interaction it had before the pandemic.

It has been great to see the calendar start to fill up with events, meetups and, well, hackathons.

As we all know, the more opportunities for interaction, the more likely we see Orlando tech reach the elevated stature that most want it to achieve.

Industry collaboration is key

At the same time, the Armed Forces Jam sets a great example. It brings together two major Central Florida industries in the spirit of collaboration.

It would be great to see this more and I expect to.

To spell it out, Orlando tech has a significant presence in the military defense and simulation industry.

We see that every November when the world’s largest defense and simulation trade show, Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, known as I/ITSEC, returns to Orlando.

The city’s video game development community – buoyed by having the top graduate program in 2022 according to Princeton Review – has been one of the more-organized and tightly knit communities, as well.

The embodiment of that community is overseen by Indienomicon Foundation.

This collection of independent video game development companies and programmers has been around nearly a decade.

This will be the second year Indienomicon partners with the military community.

A startup’s crucial win in 2021

Last year, a small startup known as A Square Games and Simulation took home the top prize: $2,500 and a chance to show off what it had built at I/ITSEC.

A Square told me that the win and facetime with military tech fueled conversations that eventually turned into contracts.

And that’s the point of it all, isn’t it?

The more collaboration between small startups and larger companies, the more wins the community sees.

That’s where hackathons can play a vital role.

As a veteran of dozens of hackathons, I understand that most products built at these events die on the vine.

Yes, there are the occasional feel-good stories of a team that meets each other at a hackathon and goes on to build an actual, breathing company.

However, what makes hackathons worth the time, effort and attention is the real possibility of collisions with people you may never have met.

In a community poised to exceed pre-pandemic levels of energy and activity, that is invaluable.

For tickets, visit THIS LINK and use code “OTN_Armed22” for a discount.

Limbitless marks 8 years of creating prosthetic limbs for children

Marco Santana
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Limbitless marks 8 years of creating prosthetic limbs for children

Albert Manero didn’t want to alarm his team building prosthetic limbs at Limbitless Solutions.

He had just learned in a phone call that world-renowned health tech advocates and billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates planned to visit the company’s Orlando headquarters as part of their visit to University of Central Florida.

But instead of letting his team know, Manero sat on the information. Until, that is, they were near.

“Oh, by the way guys, Bill and Melinda Gates are on their way,” he recalls telling his team about a half hour prior to the 2018 visit.

The response?

“There was a lot of shock there,” he said. “It was really incredible.”

The visit represents one of many highlights the company has had since it delivered its first prosthetic arm to a child eight years ago.

A series of wins in Orlando

There was the time they worked with Robert Downey Jr. to deliver an Iron Man-themed arm.

Of course, the company developed video games that help children get used to their new prosthetic limbs. UCF faculty members, Matt Dombrowski with the School of Visual Arts and Design and Peter Smith with the Nicholson School of Communication and Media lead this work for the team.

And Limbitless Solutions has also won a number of awards in both the manufacturing and healthcare industries.

However, the UCF graduate from the Tampa area says while those have been fun, it is still all about delivery day and helping another child.

“The best moment is after they’ve taken the arm home, the parent emails back and says everything is working a week later,” he said. “That’s when I can breathe sigh of relief.”

As Limbitless grows, it continues to build its innovation.

One of Limbitless Solutions’ bionic arms.

The latest design involves new ways to control a wheelchair using electronics that respond to facial gestures. The idea is to give people a more independent experience for patients who cannot use a joystick.

The research has been in partnership with Mayo Clinic, having recently completed and published their pilot study findings with Dr. Bjorn Oskarsson.

“It’s a way to support quality of life and personal dignity,” Manero said.

Limbitless Solutions launched in 2014 when it delivered a prosthetic arm to then 6-year-old Groveland kid Alex Pring.

Months later, Hollywood’s “Iron Man” Downey Jr. delivered a movie-themed arm to Pring, calling Pring “the most dapper 7-year-old I’ve ever met.”

The publicity helped jumpstart Limbitless Solutions.

However, while the public sees the finished product, Manero stresses that this kind of effort requires a strong team.

Designers need to give the arms a more expressive aesthetic.

Programmers need to make sure they function.

App developers must make sure to provide seamless experiences with the prosthetic limbs.

“The world’s biggest problems are just too large to solve by yourself,” he said. “It’s just impossible. You need those different perspectives and skillsets.”

That’s why Manero has a team of nearly 50 students along side five full-time employees that work on the arms in the company’s new 5,000-square-foot headquarters at UCF’s Research Park.

Manero said they treated Alex Pring like a celebrity even before Iron Man became involved.

“We try to elevate that same sense of care and purpose for everyone who walks through the door,” he said.

Looking to the future of prosthetic limbs

Limbitless Solutions continues to conduct clinical trials to keep improving the product.

A one-year Oregon Health and Science University study was extended three years because of coronavirus-related delays, It will soon conclude.

Another two were recently approved, including one with Orlando Health.

As they land more studies, the team continues to grow, too.

Just days before their surprise visit, members of the Limbitless team had been working on new updates for their now patented wheelchair project. Little did they know, the Gates would be some of the first people to see the new changes in action. Luckily, things went smoothly.

“I was very nervous for like two or three seconds,” Manero, 32, said with a laugh.

This whole company “has been an incredibly wonderful thing to be a part of,” he added. “I’m so grateful for that.”

Orlando Tech News will add to an already deep news ecosystem

Marco Santana
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Orlando Tech News will add to an already deep news ecosystem

Hi, I’m Marco.

Many of you already know me.

However, for those who do not, a quick intro.

I’m a former longtime journalist who spent the majority of his 11-year career writing about technology and the last six of those doing it for the Orlando Sentinel.

I dug in deep to a tech ecosystem long before it found its collective footing.

Oh, sure, we had successes around here.

It wasn’t only startups like Fattmerchant and UniKey Technologies, though, that made this community tick and had me especially interested in its future.

There were also the Lockheed Martins, Siemenses and Electronic Arts of the world because a thriving startup scene can only take a region so far.

It was the growth in Kissimmee of the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Resource Center, an ambitious project that had its stops and starts – and several names.

The depth of the gaming, simulation and military tech industries, along with so many others.

There are also the academic institutions that, if allowed to thrive, could be a farm system for young tech companies here.

But as deep as this community was, collaboration among industries was rare.

Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t a doomsday column taking cheap shots at anyone.

Instead, it’s a celebration of how far we have come because that collaboration now exists and it’s crucial.

The pandemic took its toll on just about any industry you can think of.

Me and my late mother, along with two adorable stinkers.

In its midst, I decided to walk away from the Orlando Sentinel and lost touch, to an extent with this city’s tech community.

However, not long after that, I launched Orlando Tech News.

Now, sure, it didn’t go as planned.

A family tragedy put me in a position where I had no energy to put into anything.

That’s not a sustainable position for any website to be in.

So, shortly after launch, I stopped updating the site. I spent as much time with family as I could to grieve.

Like the facility in Kissimmee, I had my stops and starts with this website.

However, I want to think that this is my last start.

In the near future, I will announce a couple of initiatives that will help me make this site sustainable (and even potentially more efficient).

The point of this post, however, is to make clear my goal here.

I truly believe my storytelling skills in tech are valuable to this community.

Several folks I have spoken to in the last week agree so that’s been encouraging.

I do not think my existence as a news outlet relies on tearing other sites down.

This community that I’ve chosen to stay in for the foreseeable future has more than enough news and information for multiple outlets to succeed.

Sure, some of my former editors would cringe if I said that to them in a competitive, professional newsroom.

But that’s just how I have chosen to approach this.

I hope you help me build.

I’ll see you soon.

Orlando fintech firm Home Lending Pal ups technical team with acquisition

Marco Santana
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Orlando fintech firm Home Lending Pal ups technical team with acquisition

A recent acquisition of an Orlando tech firm will give Home Lending Pal the technical talent it needs to build out a deeper version of its online mortgage marketplace, which will use artificial intelligence to determine loan-worthiness.

The Horizons team will work to integrate a way for lenders to engage with the platform more easily.

Home Lending Pal has been one of Orlando’s most consistent startups since CEO and cofounder Bryan Young launched in 2017.

Young and his company have since been featured in several high-profile outlets, including on CNN, BET, Bloomberg and Entrepreneur magazine.

The reason usually revolves around Young’s efforts to make home ownership more accessible to minorities through AI.

Home Lending Pal leverages that technology when determining who qualifies for home loans.

However, he also wants to use technology to create smarter consumers of color.

“Home ownership is the greatest means to wealth and we all want to have money or leave generational wealth,” Young said. “If we can create this Jarvis-like assistant that understands you and your vernacular, then it can also help in so many other financial decisions, like when to consolidate debt, pay off student loans or get a credit card.”

Home ownership is the greatest means to wealth and we all want to have money or leave generational wealth

Bryan Young, Home Lending Pal

The impact of race on financial transactions received a spotlight last week, when the N.Y. Times highlighted a Johns Hopkins University professor who had his home appraised.

When the appraiser came back with an unexpectedly low number, he resubmitted but removed family pictures from the house and had a white colleague ask for the appraisal.

The appraisal ended up being 59 percent higher than his.

“I realized a while back that lenders will give us lip service about equality but, behind the scenes, they are not doing anything about it,” said Young, a former digital strategist for Barack Obama during his successful 2012 presidential campaign.

With that background, Young knew the next step for his company was to build technology that would appeal to lenders.

“We have been converting well but there have been issues with connecting people with lenders,” he said.

That’s where the acquisition of Orlando company Horizons came in.

The new team will become the technical talent that bring what Young calls his company’s “full vision” into fruition.

“What sold us on Bryan’s mission, on top of the connections they have already made, was that we had a similar goal, which is to simplify home ownership,” said Chad Maycumber, Horizons cofounder who is now Home Lending Pal’s VP of Product.

Maycumber had gone through the home buying process shortly before partnering with cofounder Kyle Walsh to launch Horizons.

“In a few months, (Horizons cofounder) Kyle (Walsh) and Chad put together a platform that is really compatible with what we were putting together,” said Steven Better, Home Lending Pal cofounder and COO. “This will cut down development time for us. It’s significant.”

Better pointed out that the company’s app will be launched commercially soon, potentially in September.

“It’s not a secret that we aren’t technical founders who have been looking for great tech talent here for a while,” Young said. “Now we have it.”

Orlando firm’s Armed Forces Jam win opened defense industry doors

Marco Santana
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Orlando firm’s Armed Forces Jam win opened defense industry doors

Note: Orlando Tech News readers can get 20 percent off tickets using the code “OTN_armed22” when registering HERE.

An Orlando group that has been hosting themed hackathons for several years in Orlando took one of its biggest leaps forward last year, introducing Armed Forces Jam.

But its debut was merely a precursor to perhaps one of its greatest accomplishments: get a small business that won the hackathon into one of the most prestigious defense industry trade shows.

The winners received the opportunity to showcase their projects at Central Florida Tech Grove’s booth at I/ITSEC, thanks to support from Orlando-based officials from the newly arrived tech giant Unity, several top military leaders and the grove, a new venue near UCF.

“We held our own in the face of major defense companies,” said Austin Pinzon, cofounder of A Square Games and Simulation, which won the top prize of $2,500 and space at I/ITSEC. “These are people we have engaged with in the past but never at the level of representing our work right next to their daunting, two-story fabricated booths.”

Return of Armed Forces Jam details

The follow up to the inaugural Armed Forces Jam will launch at 6 p.m., Sept. 9 at Central Florida Tech Grove.

Armed Forces Jam coming back.
Attendees at the inaugural Armed Forces Jam in 2021. Photo courtesy of Indienomicon.

Last year, Pinzon’s team built a virtual reality-based, small-arms weapon simulator and trainer aimed at helping soldiers recognize hostile targets in an enclosed environment.

Throughout I/ITSEC, visitors stopped by the booth to try it out.

“We weren’t really nervous about talking with those who stopped by,” Pinzon said. “We were proud of what we had built and what we accomplished. It was an easy icebreaker.”

The introduction of the Armed Forces Jam represented another big milestone for Indienomicon, a group in Central Florida that supports independent video game developers.

In the past, it has hosted and organized game jams with ties to the space and healthcare industries, along with others.

In addition, it hosted monthly meetups that brought the community together to support local indie developers and their projects.

Now, however, the group wants to focus.

Armed Forces Jam
John Cunningham, Unity Technologies head of government and aerospace

“We once did a bunch of things,” said Chad Hoover, Indienomicon organizer. “After the pandemic, we needed to do one thing. We wanted to look at each jam, elevate the quality of the content and the value they provide.”

Partnerships make the dream work

To do that, the team behind the jams reached out, seeking partnerships that could further push its influence in the community.

When John Cunningham, the top Orlando-based official of the tech giant Unity, learned of the event, he quickly became an advocate.

“Many small companies and individuals have heard about the business opportunities in the defense industry (in Central Florida) but don’t know how to get connected,” said Cunningham, a longtime supporter of Orlando’s tech scene who is now head of government and aerospace at Unity Technologies. “This is a great way to get connected and get a taste of the community.”

Cunningham has become one of the top voices in Orlando’s tech community, frequently advocating and promoting its growth as a hub.

It’s events like Armed Forces Jam, he said, that will only help build that reputation more.

“Getting local companies involved is essential to ensure we are getting the innovation needed for our national defense,” he said.

On the other side, businesses like A Square Games and Simulation are thankful that they now have an avenue toward getting their skills noticed more.

“The experience led to several partnerships and contracts,” Pinzon said. “Not every connection we made panned out but it certainly got eyes on us and coming back into I/ITSEC this year, I think we’re becoming more recognizable in the space as a serious player.”

Lockheed Martin to build more helicopter trainers for U.S. military

Marco Santana
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Lockheed Martin to build more helicopter trainers for U.S. military

A defense giant that operates a large part of its operations out of Orlando has landed a contract with the U.S. miliary for helicopter training devices.

Lockheed Martin will build a “Containerized Flight Training Device” for the U.S. Navy with the option of three more in the future. The company employs about 8,000 in Central Florida across two main facilities.

The devices train soldiers to operate the Sikorsky CH-53K heavy lift helicopter. The company successfully delivered a similar training device in 2020 to Marine Corps Air Station in Jacksonville, N.C.

Lockheed Martin VP of Training and Simulation Solutions Flash Kinloch said the devices were ready for greater use.

“Marine pilots have smoothly transitioned from the training device to the actual CH-53K’s fly-by-wire cockpit and completed missions in the fleet environment – such as air-to-air refueling,” he said. “Training in this highly immersive virtual environment permits flight crews to train the full scope of tasks that can be performed on the aircraft in a safe, cost effective and realistic manner.”

The U.S. military has increasingly sought simulation-based trainers to keeps costs down while also providing photo-realistic lessons for its soldiers.

Orlando has one of the deepest ecosystems in simulation and training, as well.

The device will train flight crews on heavy lift missions and will replicate various environmental conditions crews can face. The devices include a full cockpit, an instructor area and a debriefing room.

The work will be partially done in Orlando through the company’s Sikorsky subsidiary and is part of a $32.6 million contract.

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