Launch Delta Opens Doors to Home Services Entrepreneurs
Newly minted home services accelerator makes its way to Downtown Memphis, Tenn. to spark innovation within this growing industry. We are excited to announce the Launch Delta Home Services Accelerator! Powered by ServiceMaster and Start Co., Launch Delta is seeking technology-based startup companies working to disrupt or replace existing homeservices technologies. Whether it’s mining IoT and smart home data, conjuring new ideas for customer service platforms, developing new platforms for delivering service, or disrupting the supply chain that supports home services—we welcome all innovators! The accelerator program gives home services startups the opportunity to grow and scale in Memphis. We are seeking up to 8 teams who’ll be led by our four esteemed partners: (1) Start Co., an established venture firm and accelerator, (2) Innova Memphis, an early-stage venture capital firm, (3) Hatcher+, an early-stage venture capital firm seeking to expand its portfolio into home services technology, and (4) ServiceMaster, a Fortune 1000 company that touches 75,000 homes and businesses every day with essential services. The Launch Delta Home Services Accelerator runs for 100 days as a part of the Summer of Acceleration, beginning on May 7th and ending with Demo Day on August 16th. The Summer of Acceleration helps startups build their business, while also making great professional connections around the city. Memphis is a great city to build your startup with involved mentors, an engaged community and a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem! To learn more and apply for the Launch Delta Home Services Accelerator, please visit: https://www.f6s.com/launchdelta/apply And remember, there
7 Tips for Standing Out in Your Start Co. Accelerator Application
Each year we release our applications for our highly competitive accelerator programs. With this post I wanted to tell how you can stand out over others during application screening. Here are 7 tips for standing out in your application to our accelerator programs at Start Co. Be sure to apply and learn more here: apply Teamwork makes the dreamwork The #1 factor of success for a startup company is the team. So at Start Co. we want to see that you have a strong founding team. We want to know that your talents and skills complement each other and you can work together. Do you have the technical ability to build something? Founding a company is not easy and you need great teammates. Amaze us! We receive 100s of applications, so make yourself stand out! Tell us how you’ve overcome big problems in the past and what things you have loved doing. Show us why we should offer you a spot in our next cohort. We value diversity and focus on inclusion — help us understand why you are different. Build great relationships Recommendations spark our interest and instantly catapult you forward. A strong reference from a member of the Start Co. network, perhaps a mentor or a founder from a previous accelerator, will definitely help you. Hustling to get an awesome recommendation is a great indicator of the drive and resourcefulness we want in our accelerators. Tell us what you’ve learned We love to see teams that have been out there
Start Co. announces winners of Virtual Pitch Competition
We are excited to announce that we have the winners of our 2017 Virtual Pitch Competition! We want to thank all of our participants for submitting their great ideas. As a reminder, the judging criteria: Applicants must submit a 90-second video sharing their startup idea using the following guidelines: Introduce your team Describe your tech product/service Tell us about your customer and the problem you’re solving for them Explain how your product works to solve that problem Tell us where you are in the process Make a realistic ask Passion and enthusiasm count 1st Place – Fly with Freya https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-0i90yipSI&feature=youtu.be Prize: $1,000 cash 1 hour meeting with Eric Mathews, CEO of Start Co. Finalist in the Start Co. Accelerator applications Promotion via our social networks Most Creative Pitch – Clu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-1hdGNXWIY&feature=youtu.be Prize: $200 Amex Gift Card Solving the Biggest Problem – Sage Robotics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maXEbHKaqac&feature=youtu.be Prize: $150 Facebook Ad Credits Strongest Team – TiqueSeek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm5WxNknHgk&feature=youtu.be Prize: $100 Facebook Ad Credits Most Enthusiastic Presentation – Cold Zones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC_qZscI5WE&feature=youtu.be Prize: $50 Starbucks Gift Card Thank you to all of the startups that shared their ideas with us. #neverstop
Start Co. Virtual Pitch Competition 2017
Submit your video by December 17th We want to hear about your startups, so we’ve created a video pitch contest. Win up to $1,500 in prizes for your technology startup by entering a short, 90-second pitch. Don’t know if you can win the grand prize? We also have prizes for the “Strongest Team” and “Most Enthusiastic Presentation” so check out the details below. Description: The Start Co. Pitch Competition aims to encourage entrepreneurs with idea stage hardware or software products for businesses to pitch their ideas to the Start Co. team! Prizes: 1st Place $1,000 Cash 1 Hour Meeting with Eric Mathews, CEO of Start Co. Finalist in the Start Co. accelerator applications Promotion via our social networks Most Creative Pitch $200 Amex Gift Card Solving The Biggest Problem $150 Facebook Ad Credits Strongest Team $100 Facebook Ad Credits Most Enthusiastic Presentation $50 Starbucks Gift Card Judging Criteria: Applicants must submit a 90-second video sharing their startup idea using the following guidelines. Introduce your team Describe your tech product/service Tell us about your customer and the problem you’re solving for them Explain how your product works to solve that problem Tell us where you are in the process Make a realistic ask Passion and enthusiasm count Eligibility: Must be a B2B, technology driven startup that has raised less than $100K Entry Deadline: December 17th, 2017 at 11:59 PM. Winners will be announced January 2nd, 2018 Click here to apply! Contest is limited to 250 submissions
Startup Spotlight: Building Box
Wilson Waller, founder of Building Box, is getting involved with STEM education on a worldwide scale. His vision is to provide computer focused learning to underprivileged youth all across the planet through the development of his unique style of portable classrooms. Talk about yourself and building box. My name is Wilson Waller. I’m 25 years old, born in Memphis, TN, and the founder of Building Box. Building Box is company that designs and distributes portable STEM classrooms and Makerspaces within shipping containers. The containers are pre-fitted with everything a student needs to learn a variety of computer and engineering skills. Unlike normal portable classrooms, these boxes are highly cost efficient and can be easily shipped anywhere in world, meaning they can provide computer access, internet access, and education to those living in rural and underprivileged area. What made you start building box? Three and a half years ago, I moved to India to work with a non-profit. The Himalayan village had a lot of children who were interested in computers, but most had little access to electricity, internet, and computer hardware. I wanted to find a way for kids in similar situations to be able to work with computers and learn skills like coding and digital design, even when they are in such disconnected locations. I came up with the idea of creating classrooms in shipping containers, one of the most scalable and cost feasible way to provide portable learning environments on such a large scale, and so Building Box
Startup Spotlight: SILQ-EDU
Allison Sheppard Nokes, Co-Founder of SILQ-EDU, has been involved with youth education for over fifteen years. The SILQ-EDU data dashboard allows principals and program coordinators to pinpoint students who need intervention by bridging disparate school data. Q: Tell me about yourself and SILQ-EDU. A: I am Allison Sheppard Nokes and I have been a teacher and administrator for fifteen years. SILQ-EDU is a data platform that helps schools merge their student information, and access it in a central location. The problem is that schools use multiple data systems for things such as assessments, behavior, attendance, and grades. Our dashboard system uses this complete information to plainly identify students who are in need of intervention. Principals and school leaders know that they have the expertise and access to services that can help prevent drop-outs. We streamline the process of identifying the kids who are most critically at-risk of dropping out so principals can intervene sooner. Q: What is the inspiration behind SILQ-EDU? A: I have a Master’s degree in Ed-Tech Integration. Even as a classroom teacher, other teachers came to me for help with computers and technology. So, I have years of experience with the vast offering of ed-tech products which exist. Most schools use an average of three or more platforms with which to generate student data. One main value that the SILQ-EDU dashboard provides to schools is the aggregation of all of the data because let’s face it, it’s hard to use data that is separated out into so
Startup Spotlight: Alwaz.Pro
Maurrean Barger envisions an internationally-recognized online career development platform which allows working-class professionals to demonstrate and promote their professional careers. This mission is materializing through her work as Founder and CEO of Alwaz.Pro. Q: Tell me about yourself. A: I’m Maurrean Barger, born and raised in Memphis, TN. I graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in communications and graphic design. I have bought and sold media in Memphis for a long time. Q: What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? A: Being a marketing consultant, I have worked for entrepreneurs and respect what they do: for putting everything on the line and having the ambition to take action instead of playing it safe. I admire the inspiration they have. For me, making that conversion was a pretty big deal. I have found a product, a hole in the market, and my passion. Q: What led you to create Alwaz.Pro? A: There is a host of [working class] people who are not being served. I think it’s unjust that when the internet was formed, somehow, we decided that if you are this class of person with a bachelor’s degree or higher, you can have those [professional] recommendations that follow you, but for those that don’t, those [professional] recommendations go to the employer, and I think that is unjust. The people who aren’t being served are the very backbone of our American economy and society. Q: How has the Upstart Accelerator at Start Co. provided Alwaz.Pro a competitive edge?
Startup Spotlight: ArtSquare
Thomas Griffin, CEO and founder of ArtSquare has a passion for art. Having begun his entrepreneurial career in Silicon Valley, he has transplanted his company to Memphis. As a member in the Seed Hatchery Accelerator at Start Co. Thomas’ goal is to revolutionize and transform the art e-commerce business through his online art portfolio manager. Q: Tell me about yourself. A: My name is Thomas Griffin. I am the CEO and founder of ArtSquare. I grew up just outside of Austin, Texas. I went to Abilene Christian University and got a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. Then I moved out to Silicon Valley for a couple of years to work in tech and startups before relocating to Nashville, where I lived for two and a half years before moving to Memphis. Q: What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? A: When I was a little kid I would always tinker in my stepdad’s shop. I would take things apart, put them back together to understand how all the pieces worked. I always wanted to be an inventor. It was in college that I realized that my interest in inventing didn’t necessarily have to be tangible products – it could be software. It was putting one foot in front of the other and realizing which fields or industries were most ripe for my interests and skills. Q: What led you to create ArtSquare? A: My senior year of college I was buying art from China to resell in the US. Eventually,
Rhodes College Alumnae in the World of Entrepreneurship
Recent female Rhodes College graduates are making an impact in the entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Memphis. Each of these ladies majored in a variety of disciplines; however, they used their Rhodes experience to enter and impact the business community. Sarah Baumann ’16 Sarah, an Urban Studies major, now works as an entrepreneur. She devotes her time to her business, Signet Sealed and uses her artistic abilities to illustrate major attractions and themes in prominent cities in the United States and beyond. Sarah loved the idea of being “her own boss” and turning her hobby into a business opportunity, which is one of the first things that appealed to her about entrepreneurship. Sarah credits the Rhodes community with promoting her business and, of course, being some of her first customers. Since graduation, Sarah invests her energy full-time to Signet Sealed. Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to “Start Now!” View Sarah’s creations on the Signet Sealed website: https://www.signetsealed.com Daisy Laird ’13 Alongside her courses, Daisy worked in the Rhodes College Career Services office. She believes that positions like her student employee and RSA roles “teach real, applicable skills that allow students to be exposed to the world of business… regardless of their backgrounds”. For those interested in becoming an entrepreneur, Daisy suggests taking advantage of Start Co.’s online resources and asking for advice from mentors. Following completion of her degree in Theatre at Rhodes, Daisy continued her education at Christian Brothers University, obtaining her MBA with a concentration in Project
Alumni Spotlight: Q&A with Josh Herwig SOMAVAC Medical Founder
Josh Herwig is a jack-of-all-trades with professional experience in machine design, electronics, and manufacturing. Herwig and co-founder Esra Roan- with over fifteen years experience in biomedical research- established SOMAVAC Medical Solutions Inc. to address ongoing issues experienced by patients recovering from major surgeries. SOMAVAC created an inconspicuous device to continually draw together tissue through suction. Their solution restores a patient’s dignity and allows for mobility while recuperating. Josh Herwig shares his incomparable experience in the 2016 Summer of Acceleration. Q: Where did the idea for your business come from? A: In our case, the clinical problem originated from a series of conversations that my co-founder, Dr. Esra Roan, and I had with several surgeons who we previously collaborated with in the academic setting. The real idea for a medical device then grew from a combination of that clinical problem and our in-depth interviews with patients experiencing problems recovering from major surgeries. Q: What was your favorite or most impactful experience at Start Co.? A: The most impactful experience at Start Co. was the initial programming we received. Both Dr. Esra Roan and I have technical backgrounds. So the business “boot camp” was invaluable in terms of getting us up to speed with what it means to really construct a sustainable business. Q: What were your expectations coming into the Start Co. program and how did that change? A: As an engineer, I can be pretty skeptical. I honestly expected the program to be filled with a lot of the