Meet the 2022 class of Bethesda Green’s accelerator program for sustainability-focused founders

New cohort just dropped.

Bethesda, Maryland-based, environmentally-friendly accelerator program Bethesda Green Innovation Lab just announced its cohort for 2022, which is launching in January. The lab is designed to support startup entrepreneurs and leaders who are developing solutions for societal and environmental problems. Companies that are in the idea to seed stages were accepted for the four-month program, which focuses on investment readiness and commercialization assistance.

“Montgomery County has shown a sincere commitment recently to accelerate economic growth and address the climate emergency we all face,” said Bethesda Executive Director Adam Roberts in a statement. “No organization is as equipped to address business development and environmental protection simultaneously as Bethesda Green, and I encourage everyone in the County to support this group of entrepreneurs as they nobly pursue massive business success.”

Meet the latest class of Bethesda Green’s Innovation Lab accelerator:

• Sunny Sanwar, founder of Dynamhex: The Baltimore, Maryland company developed software for energy consumption and carbon emissions measurement data for utilities, corporations and government. In 2018, it was also a finalist in the District’s Gigabit DC Challenge.
• Dietrich Ruehlmann, founder of GaiaXus: This Bethesda startup develops apps, sensors, algorithms and products for use by citizen scientists. Founded in 2021, its first product will be a light, low-cost device that uses sensor tech for water quality data.
• Soner Haci, founder of I-NESS 360: With US headquarters in Rochester, New York, Haci’s company creates data twins of commercial buildings and office spaces to accumulate data on human behavior to optimize space, energy and operations.
• Margaret Kocherga, founder of Margik: Kocherga’s startup develops non-toxic materials for electronic devices, including window and solar technology. The goal is to improve the stability, efficiency and thus overall lifetime of devices.
• Megan Wakefield, cofounder of Old Dominion Flower Co: This Fairfax and Hillsboro, Virginia, company is a wholesale flower hub for local and sustainable flowers.
• Kobby Osei-Kusi, founder of Pirl: Osei-Kusi’s San Francisco, California-based company accumulates environmental data for resiliency-as-a-service offerings.
• Christina Calvin, founder of Terran Material Resources: Calvin founded Terran to develop technology that can lower the number of risks associated with shipping hazardous waste in order to decommission and transport lithium-ion batteries to recycling facilities.