Introduction
The Staniszewski family—Bill, Margie, Bill, Joe, Rick, Ben, and Danny—are no strangers to the landscaping industry. Having operated a traditional landscaping company since 2005, the team at Isidore Automation LLC has always been driven by an entrepreneurial mindset and a desire to create their own path. Recognizing the rising trend and improving technology in autonomous lawn care, they set out to reimagine lawn and landscape management through their flagship project: a specialized robotic mower system. Their mission is to provide high-tech solutions for homeowners and commercial properties, with a specific focus on the unique needs of golf courses.
Challenge and Goals
When Isidore Automation joined the Innovation Forge Startup Accelerator, they were in the early idea stage. While they were familiar with existing robotic products, they faced significant hurdles in technical development, identifying patentable concepts, and working with limited resources.
Their initial goal was to build a working prototype of a next-generation robotic mower from the ground up. However, they quickly realized they needed to bridge the gap between their bold vision and the practical infrastructure required to make autonomous mowing viable for large-scale commercial clients like golf courses. They needed a strategy that would allow them to enter a competitive market with a realistic, high-impact product, while leveraging their knowledge and experience with key customer segments.
Outcomes and Results
The Innovation Forge program, a collaboration between The Corner and the Digital Foundry at New Kensington, provided the structured environment the team needed to pivot. Through market exploration, customer discovery exercises, and work with the Digital Foundry team on initial prototype concepts, the Staniszewski team identified a major pain point supporting ancillary tools and infrastructure for existing autonomous mowers.
This insight led to a strategic shift. Instead of building a full advanced mower, they began developing a concept for ancillary support equipment. This innovation will enable existing robotic units to operate improved efficiency, cost and flexibility across large commercial properties like golf courses. Since completing the program, the team has made critical modifications to their prototype test robot and established a clear development path for their ancillary support solution. The monthly meetings and mentorship provided by the Digital Foundry were instrumental in shifting the team to refine their business strategy and define a niche where they could truly shine.
Impact and Next Steps
Isidore Automation is now moving from theory to reality. Their ancillary support system for robotic mowing is designed to make sustainable, autonomous landscaping accessible for commercial properties that previously found the infrastructure costs or complexity prohibitive.
Over the next year, the team is focused on developing a functional prototype during the winter months, with plans to install it on a test property by spring. Following successful internal trials, they intend to test the units at active customer locations to finalize their go-to-market plan. They are now moving forward with the confidence that they are solving a real-world problem for their target customers in a way that creates a competitive niche for their new business.
Reflecting on the program, the team emphasizes the importance of being open to change: “Innovation Forge helped us pivot our ideas. We were able to dive into business strategy and customer discovery to really define what we wanted to do. The program forced us to talk more as a team about where this project was going and how it could be successful.”
