Entrepreneur Insight: Tom Barrett, 7Signal

In today’s workplace, manufacturers, universities, hospitals and many other enterprises all depend on reliable wi-fi networks. These organizations are full of mission-critical, and in some cases life-critical, equipment and processes. And while wi-fi tends to make everything run more efficiently, interference, network congestion and coverage issues can cause major headaches.

Fortunately, Cleveland-based 7Signal offers a solution. Founded nearly a decade ago, the JumpStart portfolio company ensures businesses have the means to keep their networks running predictably, efficiently and more affordably by proactively detecting and fixing potential network problems before they become a performance issue.

7Signal’s expertise in this niche industry is just one of several factors driving their rapid growth. To keep up with their growing market, the company has its sights set on more than doubling the existing team over the next three-year period. And in an effort to accommodate this projected growth, 7Signal recently relocated from Akron to Independence—a move that CEO and startup veteran Tom Barrett credits with allowing them to attract outstanding talent from both Akron and Cleveland.

In the video below, Barrett discusses the challenge of finding the right hires in Northeast Ohio while doing business in a very niche industry. He also shares his experience of working directly with JumpStart’s Talent Services team to quickly fill leadership roles within his organization.

This post is part of JumpStart’s “Insight” video series, a monthly feature introducing you to Northeast Ohio investors, entrepreneurs and organizations dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed.