Get to know: Frameworq

What inspired you to found Frameworq?

My father had been in construction for decades, and I am now in the family business, and we had never found something that was effective in seeing both individual milestones and big picture project management.

Most of the software we came across was geared towards a single big project - a massive building or stadium - they weren’t thinking about what works for smaller projects at a higher volume. Construction has been an industry that has lagged behind. Companies are looking for ways to improve their processes with technology. There are no dominant software products in this space we are targeting so we have the opportunity to be a part of the wave of innovation that's happening in construction project management.

We see the first fit being in the construction industry but Frameworq is a tool that can serve many industries in the future.

What do you hope to get out of Lighthouse and acceleration?

We had done the Bronze Valley accelerator with gBeta where we received a lot of local connections. It was our first stepping stone to separate the internal software from the family business. Now we want to expand the company further, move beyond our local network, and build a pipeline for a stronger sales process moving forward.

As we were researching Lighthouse and other accelerators, that community feeling was felt. We’re a family business and we got the sense that Lighthouse was like a family.

“We’re a family business and we got the sense that Lighthouse was like a family.”

— JAMES KEMP, COFOUNDER

How did you and your team meet and how do you divide and conquer?

Our family has run a construction management business for many years. As a family, we all have a different role to play in the business and we each bring different backgrounds and skillsets. We have the advantage of truly knowing each persons strengths and weaknesses and we lean on each other for different things - we all have our lanes we run in and we trust each other. We are always thinking from another perspective which creates a great dynamic for making business decisions. We have to hold each other accountable and to a high standard - we are family but we’re also professionals - we’re doing business the same as if we weren’t related.

What are the most exciting moments of your entrepreneurial journey thus far?

When Alabama Power signed on to use Frameworq. It was great to see how they implemented the product with their team and began to establish new processes.

Also, hearing validation from the previous accelerator and people seeing the need in the space. As a startup, you kind of expect to hear negative feedback or pushback and we’ve been surprised that no one has doubted the value product - only given us more ideas to push it further.

What founders or companies do you admire?

My Dad - Mike Kemp - who is also our co-founder. He was the first Black project manager at both firms he worked and the first Black VP. Then started a company and built a successful firm that turned into our family business.

He has empowered us to take Frameworq to the next level - we have an opportunity that many others wouldn’t have without what he has sacrificed to get us here

What is your personal approach to entrepreneurship?

To be the best version of yourself at work, you have to take care of yourself - physically, mentally, spiritually. We’re both faith-based and that is important for us. Our family also really values service and servant leadership and aim to have our businesses serve people. We believe in helping others and we want to make other people better by what we offer. We had an internal pain point but saw that we could help other people and that service-mindset drives the future of Frameworq.