Conscious Venture Lab announces second cohort of do-gooding startups

The second class of Howard County’s Conscious Venture Lab includes a startup aimed at changing computer science instruction and social media monetization for food bloggers.
On Monday, officials at the accelerator announced the six companies entering its 17-week program, which attracted applicants nationwide.
“These companies reflect the future of where capitalism and social values come together,” Jeff Cherry, CEO and managing partner of the Porter Group, the private investment firm that operates the lab, said in a release.
The companies will work out of Howard County’s Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship in Columbia.
The six companies, with descriptions via a Howard County press release, are:

• Hungry Harvest: “Hungry Harvest is on a mission to end food waste and eliminate hunger in the U.S.”
• Speaker Blast: “The company’s patent-pending technology allows you to sync an unlimited number of IP devices.”
• Loved Again: “Loved Again is on a mission to make cleaning out your closet enjoyable while helping the charity of your choice.”
• CoderLoan: “CoderLoan is a startup striving to change the way computer science students are funded, trained and hired.”
• Going Green Today: “Going Green Today is a sustainability-learning tool, designed to teach users to save money by reducing their carbon footprints.”
• Zest: “Zest is a social media monetization tool for food bloggers, and works by connecting foodies to its affiliate network of restaurants and food companies.”

“Through our partnership with the Porter Group we have attracted six dynamic new businesses to Howard County,” Lawrence F. Twele, Howard County Economic Development Authority CEO, said in the release. “As we look for more innovative approaches to economic development that support the entire community, we believe the CVLab helps us do that.”