Kevin Scholz

Kevin Scholz dreamed of inventing, developing and bringing to market an innovative product that people needed. He pursued several startups, seeking that elusive innovative product with nominal success, but he learned along the way, preparing him for what was to come.

In 2010, after nearly a decade as a self-employed innovator, Scholz partnered with Robin Pfaff to establish a new company, SharpLogixx. The pair developed a Metron Support business, providing client support for digital X-ray software for veterinary, chiropractic and podiatry practices. That gave them the roadmap to what would become the bigger business: SmartRayVision, which launched in 2015 and provided portable X-ray systems for bomb technicians.

The SmartRayVision system quickly made other emerging technologies obsolete, and today SharpLogixx is one of the top three dominant players in the security space.

The company, based in Green Bay, has landed multiple contracts with the U.S. government, including the Army, Navy, FBI, ATF, CIA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as various federal, state and local police agencies.

“I have learned to enjoy the ‘forever’ process of innovating and reinventing,” Scholz said. “To stay competitive and maybe even dominate in our market/ industry, we must be constantly pushing for a new level of perfection. This work must be a ‘love’ or it is too hard to be great. Our past successes have in large part come from our speed and creative innovating and inventing. We must not forget our strengths and what truly inspires us to be great. If we do that, we will have a very competitive future in our market and a great stable company for our employees.”

Under Scholz’s leadership as CEO, SharpLogixx has tripled its employees since 2010. Scholz is especially proud that the technology his company produces helps to save lives, and his “dream of inventing something that didn’t previously exist before, producing it and bringing it to market has been realized,” the company said.

In the coming years, Scholz and Pfaff plan to grow the company’s staff and mentor and promote existing employees who have been essential to the growth of the business. They are working on a succession plan so they are prepared when the time comes to step back, the company said.

“Kevin recognizes that his success and that of his company is not about luck,” his team said. “It took hard work and perseverance, as well as the willingness to take risks. He understands that success in this space is not only about invention, it’s also about reinvention. To stay competitive, you can’t sit still. Innovation and forward movement are necessary.”