Future Founders is excited to announce the 22 entrepreneurs who were selected to participate in the next phase of our 2020 Startup Bootcamp.
Startup Bootcamp is our innovative early-stage accelerator serving 18 to 30-year-olds across the country. The program kicked off in March with a series of virtual programs that gave founders an opportunity to network with peers, connect with entrepreneurial thought leaders, and build skills through leadership development workshops and monthly mastermind sessions. Their work in Phase One culminated with the Startup Bootcamp Pitch Day, where founders pitched their businesses to a panel of entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from across the country.
Startup Bootcamp Phase Two members were selected from the 35 founders who completed Phase One.
“These Startup Bootcamp members demonstrated tremendous drive, traction, and entrepreneurial intentionality in launching their businesses during Phase One,” said Scott Issen, President & CEO, Future Founders. “We’re thrilled to provide these talented entrepreneurs with more resources to grow as founders and build sustainable companies.”
The second phase of Startup Bootcamp kicked off with a virtual summit that runs through the end of July. Throughout the course of the summit, founders will have the opportunity to attend nine different skill development sessions on topics ranging from digital marketing and lean manufacturing, to legal and accounting best practices for first-time founders. Future Founders is incredibly grateful for the entrepreneurs and business experts who have agreed to share their time and expertise during these sessions, including Garry Cooper (CEO of Rheaply), Matt Armstrong (CEO of C22 Tech), Esther Barron (Director, Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center), Michelle Murray (Managing Director of Segue Partners), Murtaza Bambot (CEO of CareerBlitz), Caitie Gehlhausen (CEO of Socket Lock-It), and Taylor Morrison (CEO of Inner Workout).
Startup Bootcamp in Chicago is made possible through a generous grant from the Blackstone Inclusive Entrepreneurship Challenge, which is sponsored by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, World Business Chicago, and ChicagoNEXT. The National Bootcamp program is supported by Google.org.
Congratulations to the 2020 Startup Bootcamp founders and their businesses:
Ardent Candle, VA Founder: Koby Lomax Ardent Candle is an eCommerce brand that sells scented candles featuring high fragrance loads and a unique wax blend that offers a superb scent throw.
Ascend Deliveries, IL Founder: Andrew Wilkins Ascend is a drone delivery company focused on the dense, urban market. We develop software to turn third-party drone hardware into autonomous delivery drones.
Clip Team, IL Founder: Sterling Brown Clip Team combines next level basketball training while guiding the development of young people into their careers outside of basketball.
Crescent, VA Founder: Kia Jordan Crescent seeks to provide financial literacy, encourage ownership, and deliver a transparent method to savvy real estate investments through a community-based group economics model.
Cuyun Marketing, IL Founder: Daniel Cuyun Cuyun Marketing is a consulting service that helps struggling businesses properly market their products/services digitally to generate more leads and sales.
Fontenelle Art LLC, IL Founder: Christina Fontenelle Fontenelle Art LLC, is a Mental Health & Creative Arts Wellness company that aims to serve communities by providing Art & Movement-based approaches to professional development, mental health awareness, and community cohesion.
From the Inside Out, MD Founder: Natasha Ballard From The Inside Out facilitates multigenerational learning by teaching civic engagement, education, entrepreneurship, health, and financial literacy through gamified educational technology.
GG Studios, IL Founder: Jonathan Garcia GG Studios provides state-of-the-art equipment for those looking to break into the streaming and content creator world.
Izana, NJ Founder: Isabel Castillo Izana empowers all women with innovative clothing, as we believe no woman should feel left behind.
Just Like Magic, LLC, NJ Founder: Abrina Hillson Just Like Magic, LLC is a college readiness consulting company designed to assist students in preparation for their careers by obtaining a college degree and developing soft skills through virtual tutoring.
Minternship, IL Founder: Kamesh Darisipudi Minternship addresses the lack of career exposure by offering a hub of interactive business cases that allows students and professionals to learn about a career in just 15 minutes.
NASADYA, IL Founder: Chaitanya Gulati NASADYA solves the growing problem of variability management in the energy grid for power plants by converting costly excess energy into valuable hydrogen.
Nefertari’s Palace, IL Founder: Alexis Toney Nefertari’s Palace is an online marketplace that sells everything from jewelry and other accessories to herbal medicine.
Peerly Outdoors, MA Founder: Carmela Montenegro Peerly Outdoors is a peer-to-peer outdoor equipment rental company. The company focuses on ethical, safe, and diversity-friendly education that aims to connect more people to the outdoors.
Simply Unstoppable, IL Founder: Julia Szumny Simply Unstoppable is a multi-platform media brand on a mission to share stories of unstoppable women to inspire and empower others.
Sklaza, MA Founder: Josh Kim Sklaza is a used-item marketplace where college students can buy and sell items from their classmates for low prices.
Snuggly Mom, TX Founder: Alissa Curry Snuggly Mom is a patented breastfeeding garment that allows moms to make eye contact with their child and have the discreet coverage they desire while appearing to be snuggling with their baby.
These Twenty Somethings, IL Founder: Kristian James These Twenty Somethings is a Social Wellness Club for black and brown women in their twenties. The club’s mission is to inspire introspection, guide growth, and to connect likeminded black and brown twenty somethings.
TK Holograms, IA Founder: Ahmed Ismail TK Holograms helps businesses market and advertise via hologram marketing tools & services.
Toffie Shop, IL Founder: Lisa Larbi The Toffie Shop is an accessory brand that celebrates womanhood with tastefully simple African body jewelry, namely African waist beads handmade by artisans in Ghana.
Voribe, IL Founder: Oluwabusayo Adebayo Voribe is an easy-to-use platform for streamlining internship management and communication processes between interns and their managers.
Yachti, IL Founder: Liam Poczatek Yachti seeks to help individuals in Chicago become acquainted with the world-famous, and little experienced waterline of Chicago.
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