Page 48 - Innovation Delaware 2019

Built by Brennan Stark and Steve Burns of Y Innovations — both still
in their teens — Wilmington’s first straw-bale house is for sale now.
Stark and Burns met as students at Archmere Academy in Claymont. “We launched Y Innovations initially be- cause Steve and I wanted to find a way to learn something that we could apply outside the classroom,” Stark says. “We both always did well in school, but the learning didn’t quite feel tangible and it wasn’t super obvious how we were going to use it to improve the world. That’s what motivated us to start learning, researching and asking ques- tions. Once we did, we found natural building and saw that there was the potential to create housing that was both better for the environment and more affordable for the humans who would live there.”
Policymakers have already taken
note of that impact: the groundbreak- ing on Y Innovations’ first house was attended by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki.
Each Y Innovations house, fully furnished and ready to move in, costs about $50,000 to build. Construction on the company’s next project — a three- or four-home development on Davis Street in Wilmington — is set to kick off this summer.
WHYFLY
CHANGING THE WORLD BY:
MAKING INTERNET ACCESS AFFORDABLE AND LOCAL
Almost two-thirds of America has only one choice for internet, notes Nick Sabean, WhyFly’s chief market- ing officer. This Wilmington-based startup, no-contract internet provider is offering an alternative.
WhyFly provides high-speed inter-
net access by installing a small, wire- less antenna on each customer’s roof, as well as on tall buildings throughout the city. And it’s doing so at an afford- able price point. “There’s no hidden fees. When we say $55, it’s just $55, no matter what state we’re in. We’ll roll the taxes into that, so you just pay one, flat bill,” Sabean says. “And we teach our customers ... how to save money. We’ll look at the bill and say, these are the only shows you’re watching; let’s get you just those shows.”
WhyFly is expanding into York, Pennsylvania, this spring, and plans to enter into Baltimore and Philadelphia late this year. “The whole basis of what we’re doing,” Sabean says, “is just treat people right, just keep it local. Every market we go into, we will be a mom-and-pop shop, there will be local people working there; they’ll know your neighborhood.”
Delaware’s leader in world-class connectivity.
Raise Your Standards
McConnell Johnson Real Estate has been widely recognized for our Class A assets and unique owner/operator business model that enables our dedication to tenant service. Our premier properties are also the first and only in Delaware to be certified Platinum in digital connectivity by WiredScore.
Contact us today and join a portfolio of prestigious firms that are working smarter with McConnell Johnson.
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- 5-star service
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1313 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE
1201 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE
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