Meet Tortuga
Evan Katz and Morgan Steffy are two of the newest members of Seed Hatchery, an information technology accelerator operated by Start Co. They are working to build an app – Tortuga – that helps everyday people get feedback on the clothing they wear. Evan and Morgan first met while studying abroad in Ecuador. How did you come up with the idea for Tortuga? The idea for Tortuga arose from trying to solve our own problem – we were tired of sending group texts from dressing rooms asking our friends for feedback on what we were wearing. We first discussed the idea of building an app to solve this problem when we were in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador – hence the name “Tortuga.” What has been the most valuable resource you have received from Start Co. so far? For us, the mentorship and connections have been the most valuable resource. We’re both passionate about what we’re doing and are learning more everyday, but there’s still a bunch we don’t know. Leveraging the network around us helps us fill in our knowledge gaps and avoid a lot of the common pitfalls of starting up. What is your greatest challenge so far? How are you working to overcome it? Our biggest challenge is “solving the puzzle” of our revenue model. Through the customer discovery process, we’ve verified that there’s interest in our core concept. However, we’re still trying to figure out the best way to both build a useful and entertaining
Entrepreneur Day Spotlights Power of Innovation
(Memphis Daily News) Already in recent weeks, Moziah “Mo” Bridges, the 12-year-old founder of the Memphis-based Mo’s Bows bow tie business, has appeared on the hit ABC show “Shark Tank.” If the exposure alone wasn’t enough, Bridges also impressed fashion mogul and “Shark Tank” panelist Daymond John into offering to mentor him. Next up – in addition to continuing to build his business, of course – Bridges will be a special guest speaker next week at the Tennessee Entrepreneur Day at the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis. Read the full article at The Daily News
Start Co. Kicks Off Summer of Acceleration with Four Simultaneous Accelerators
26 startup teams to build businesses over the next 120 days in Memphis (SouthernAlpha) MEMPHIS, Tenn. (April 30, 2014) – Start Co. today announces the kickoff of the organization’s “Summer of Acceleration” with the launch of four accelerator programs plus a new 12-week intensive program created for local entrepreneurs with innovative small businesses. 26 startup teams comprised of over 50 entrepreneurs will embark on an intense entrepreneurial journey over the 120-day period. The companies include a diverse cross-section of sectors and services, including wearable technology, graph databasing, drones, social commerce, and more. All teams will unveil their startups on August 21st at Demo Day, as an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments, network with the entrepreneurial community, and start to further socialize their businesses with investors and other follow-on resources. The teams were chosen from an applicant base of more than 200 submissions globally to develop an airtight business plan, refine their offering or products, tackle company operations and begin marketing efforts. Additionally, more than 120 mentors from the business and creative community have signed on to support the teams via office hours, workshops, and training. Start Co.’s is one of 50 members of the Global Accelerator Network which sets the standard for excellence in startup acceleration. “The Summer of Acceleration is a first for Memphis and the Mid-South,” said Start Co. CEO Eric Mathews. “This is the first time we’ve run accelerators simultaneously with this many entrepreneurs building their businesses, all in downtown Memphis.” Over 50 founders, a mix of Memphis-based
Rhodes College Hosts Panel Discussion on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
(Memphis – Action news 5) Rhodes College, in partnership with Start Co., is hosting a free panel program and discussion focused on innovation and entrepreneurship in Memphis. The discussion is presented by the Rhodes College Entrepreneurship Club and is being funded by a grant from Hulsey Calhoun Intellectual Property Lawyers. A business plan competition will also take place in which six teams led by Rhodes students will compete for prizes totaling $2,500. The contest will be moderated by Joe Barlia (’14), President of the Rhodes College Entrepreneurship Club, and Eric Mathews (’02), CEO and Founder of Start Co. Introductions will be made by Bud Richey. Read the full article at Action news 5 Learn more about the event at The Daily News
Start Co. appoints Mara Lewis as Managing Director
Memphis, Tenn. (April 22, 2014) – Start Co. today announced that Mara Lewis has been appointed to managing director for the organization where she will be responsible for building business and investment relationships around the U.S. and expanding the national brand presence of Start Co. She will also participate in startup creation through the four accelerators Seed Hatchery, UpStart, SparkGap and SkyHigh during the “Summer of Acceleration,” which kicks off May 1st. Previously, Lewis was an entrepreneur-in-residence for Start Co., splitting her time between Memphis and San Francisco. “Our commitment to Memphis has always been to strategically invest in people, such as Mara, to add bench strength to our team. Few venture creation organizations have the opportunity to build a national presence and engage talent from San Francisco to support the growth of a ‘fly-over’ ecosystem,” said Eric Mathews, founder and CEO of Start Co. “Mara will act as an important bridge between the Memphis and San Francisco startup communities and will continue to represent Memphis on the West Coast to connect Start Co. startups with investors and other resources.” During the summer Lewis will spend most of her time in Memphis to support the growth of the accelerator programs and the startup teams. Year round, Lewis will make regular trips between San Francisco and Memphis to grow the organization’s West Coast presence and build a bridge between the two startup ecosystems. She will also serve as the national voice of Start Co. as brand ambassador, speaker, and business development
Library Enhances Offerings at Small-Business Center
(Memphis Daily News) The Memphis Public Library & Information Center has announced enhanced offerings at its Small Business Center on the third floor of the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. The First Tennessee Foundation and Start Co. are contributing to these efforts, investing funding, time and expertise for small-business owners and entrepreneurs. The First Tennessee Foundation has awarded the Memphis Library Foundation a $50,000 grant to enhance the Small Business Center’s collection of books and other materials ranging in topics from business development to social media marketing. Start Co. mentors will host mentoring sessions at the Small Business Center starting April 8. Each Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., these mentors will offer free counseling to small-business owners and entrepreneurs, discussing ideas and helping address challenges. Read the full Daily Digest at The Daily News Read more about the Memphis Library boosting small business resources at Startup Memphis
MentorMe Startup, Founder Continue to Thrive
(Memphis Daily News) Memphian Brittany Fitzpatrick’s startup MentorMe is on a roll, having secured a six-figure round of funding after graduating from Memphis’ Seed Hatchery accelerator as well as the NewMe accelerator program in San Francisco. Fitzpatrick recently was on Capitol Hill in Washington, the result of her being asked to join a group speaking with members of Congress about what it’s like to build a startup in Memphis. Also recently, the Social Enterprise Alliance, in conjunction with the American Express Foundation, included Fitzpatrick on its list of the top “50 under 40” emerging leaders in the social enterprise world. Fitzpatrick’s company is a cloud-based platform for mentoring programs. Read the full article at The Daily News
Start Co. bets on Memphis to become a ‘venture city’
(High Ground News) Eric Mathews talks fast. Then again, he’s got a lot to say. From window-lined offices on the second floor of 88 Union Ave., he has a high vantage point of Main Street but remains close enough to almost read the faces that pass on the sidewalks below. Which is fitting, as his job as CEO and co-president of Startco is, more or less, to read people as they’re moving forward. Startco is described as “part venture development group, part accelerator, and all work.” The group is focused on turning ideas into effective Memphis companies through access to mentors, investors and communal facilities. Startco has partnered with Jumpstart America, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio to turn Memphis into a “venture city.” The company facilitates four different business start-up accelerators, each with its own brand and national presence: the Seed Hatchery for IT start-ups; Upstart for women-led ventures; Sky High for social innovation; and SparkGap for logistics technology. Read the full article at High Ground
New vision emerges, new horizons beckon
(Startup Memphis) It’s time to start up, Memphis. That’s how I opened this column when it debuted in 2011 and in the years since the local entrepreneurial ecosystem has done just that and undergone a remarkable transformation. For example, when I began covering the local entrepreneurship community, one of the first places I visited was EmergeMemphis, a startup accelerator and incubator. The converted warehouse located Downtown at the corner of G.E. Patterson and Tennessee offered a co-working and supportive environment for a couple dozen fledgling companies and I was inspired by the creatives who were determined to launch startups out of the collaborative space. Read the full article at Startup Memphis Read more at The Commercial Appeal
Memphis hitting back after ranking “black eye”
(Memphis Business Journal) Memphis may be last out of 101 marketsacross the U.S. when it comes to small business vitality, but check back in a few months. The ranking, which was released by The Business Journals On Numbers, ranked Memphis below cities like Augusta, GA., Chattanooga, Youngstown, Ohio and Lakeland Florida when it comes to creation of small businesses. Austin, Texas was at the top of the list with 23 small businesses per 1,000 residents, compared to 18.2 in Memphis. Yesterday, MBJ looked at the differences between the startup communities in Memphis and Austin. However, Steve Bares, executive director of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, who is also heading up the Memphis Entrepreneurship Powered Innovation Center, begs to differ with the study. Read the full article at Memphis Business Journal