A free coaching program for Pittsburgh founders just ended its 2025 programming – with plans to return next year to help more local startups.  

“All too often, founders feel like they have to build alone … but that doesn’t mean you can’t build with a support system.” 

Max Polec, lead organizer of the Anvil Founder Coaching Program

The Anvil Founder Coaching Program for early-stage startup founders in Pittsburgh held its second showcase on Tuesday, highlighting the recent accomplishments of the dozen startups in its latest cohort. 

“All too often, founders feel like they have to build alone, and if you’re a solo founder, yes, there’s a trueness to that,” Max Polec, lead organizer of the program, told Technical.ly, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t build with a support system, with a community.” 

Launched earlier this year, the program is led by Polec, an executive coach and founder of the CEO Strategy, in partnership with the ecosystem-building nonprofit InnovatePGH. It’s designed to be founder-first – and that’s not a buzzword, Polec said. 

The program offers structured training every three weeks focused on product-market fit, securing early sales and founder development. Polec tracks and helps complete support requests from founders, while industry professionals offer mentorship to participants. 

Anvil also connects founders to alumni and ecosystem resources, since one of its main goals is to get startup founders “plugged in” to the wider Pittsburgh startup ecosystem, Polec said.

Participation is free but selective, with the application process assessing each founder’s commitment and fit with the cohort, according to Polec. 

The first cohort, which ran from January through June, featured nine startups. The companies — such as Peachy Day, an integrative migraine care app, and Olive, a made-to-fit tailoring startup — went on to beta testing and initial launches after finishing the program. 

A man stands at the front of a room holding a microphone, speaking to an audience; one audience member raises a hand to ask a question.
Corey Stout, founder of the car search engine startup Motoria, presenting at the Anvil Showcase (Courtesy Quinn Kirby)

Now, the latest cohort is doing the same. 

“When we started at Anvil, we had one community partner and now we have 15,” DashStrom cofounder Cristina Ramirez said at the showcase. 

Another founder, Jasmine Kwasa, said she secured a hospital client and a startup client since starting the Anvil program, while founder Corey Stout said he was just accepted into the AlphaLab accelerator program. 

Anvil will return in 2026 with new cohorts. Interested startup founders can apply now for the waitlist. 

Here are all the startups that showed off their emerging tech at the fall 2025 showcase. 

Align: A Spiritual Wellness Agency 

Founded by Rachael Devore 

Align is a platform to bring mindfulness-based modalities – like Reiki, tarot, oracle guidance and life coaching – into the workplace to reduce stress, support work-life balance and prevent burnout.

Allervision 

Founded by Varsha Sankar 
Retailers use Allervision’s platform to stay updated on the behavior of health- and diet-conscious shoppers, and it was featured as an honorable mention on Technical.ly’s 2025 RealLIST.

Clean Plate Innovations 

Founded by Nolan Sulpizio and Daniel Oldak
An honorable mention on Technical.ly’s 2025 RealLIST Startups, this startup offers an AI-powered camera system for kitchens to analyze food waste on plates and reduce that waste in the future.

DashStrom

Founded by ​Ketaki Desai and Cristina Ramirez

The startup offers a platform for schools and other community groups to connect with credentialed coaches who can offer after-school programs focused on physical activity, mentorship and social-emotional learning.

DashStorm cofounders presents at the Anvil Founder Coaching Program (Courtesy Quinn Kirby)

Elexis

Founded by Hardik Panchal 

Elexis is an AI recruitment copilot that claims it can help companies hire talent 60% faster while saving 30% on cost per hire.

Herada 

Founded by Krit Ravichander 

A real-time insurance moderating platform. It notifies healthcare providers about what your insurance covers before they give you treatment.

Insight Biorhythms

Founded by Jasmine Kwasa 

The company makes patient-centered medical tech and methodologies, then helps companies and hospitals adopt those practices.

Jasmine Kwasa from Insight Biorhythms (Courtesy Quinn Kirby)

Integr8works 

Founded by Sudha Krishnasamy and Krishna Karuppiah

This software consulting firm primarily focuses on developing platforms that display data for construction companies.

Kleon AI

​Founded by Sanjukta Bhattacharya

The startup builds virtual cells for a digital wet lab to automate biology research.

Motoria 

Founded by Corey Stout 

The first AI-powered search engine for cars. The search engine currently pulls listings from more dealerships and marketplaces than any other site.

The Orange Peel Collaborative

Founded by Tia Christopher 

The firm designs strategies for various industries and government agencies to adopt AI and robotics responsibly.

Trottr 

Founded by Leslie Manson 

Trottr is an app that turns your city into an interactive game by connecting users to real-world quests. The app, currently being beta tested, has already partnered with several local businesses to offer discounts and perks to users who complete quests.