Meet the second cohort of social impact entrepreneurs taking part in SEED SPOT’s accelerator program

Eleven early-stage social impact entrepreneurial teams took to the stage to pitch their ventures to the #dctech community at Booz Allen Hamilton‘s Innovation Center on Feb. 7. The kickoff event was put on to introduce the 11 startups to the community as SEED SPOT‘s second cohort for its spring accelerator program.

There was a packed house with a total of 267 attendees including Congressman Greg Stanton of Arizona, who spoke during the event, just as he did at the accelerator’s first kickoff party in 2012 in Phoenix, where SEED SPOT was born, C’pher Gresham, chief strategy and operations officer told Technical.ly. Now that they’ve gotten acquainted, the entrepreneurs will go through an eight-week accelerator running from Feb. 5-April 9, to improve their high-impact business models, launch a strong go-to-market strategy, assemble a winning team and nurture relationships with investors.

Thanks to @gregstantonaz for the constant support for the SEED SPOT family! #DCKickoff pic.twitter.com/1XKhX7E3wE

— SEED SPOT (@seedspot) February 8, 2019

Kelly O’Malley and S. Lovey Parker recently join the SEED SPOT team to lead the social impact incubator’s second Impact Accelerator program in D.C. O’Malley joined as the Impact Accelerator program lead and Parker is the accelerator’s program associate.

Here are the 11 social impacts ventures joining SEED SPOT’s global network:

• Amazi Foods, founded by Renee Dunn. Amazi Foods is a mindful food company on a mission to help you snack on purpose. Vegan, paleo, and ethically sourced, every bite of their made-in-Uganda snacks promotes job creation and farming communities.
• Elder Nourish, LLC, founded by Kimberly Lipinski with support from CTO, Jim Lipinski. Elder Nourish provides elderly adults with visiting chefs who prepare customized menus that meet their individual nutritional requirements.
• give365, founded by Lore Ann Burek. give365 is a spare change giving platform intended to let everyone feel the joy of giving. She lives by the mantra: “pennies make dollars, and dollars make a difference.”
• Goodfynd, cofounded by Kyle Miller and Lemaire Stewart. Goodfynd makes food more accessible by connecting users to food trucks in their area, while enabling small and growing food businesses to contribute to more connected communities.
• Haven, founded by Ben Pugh. The Haven app helps users find quality healthcare professionals and services that are compatible with their insurance plan in less than 30 seconds.
• herDomain, cofounded by Quratul-Ann Malik and Meher Rehman. herDomain invests in untapped female technical talent in the developing world through providing cutting-edge tech training, remote work opportunities with US-based companies, and a peer community.
• My Active Senior, founded by Shememe Williams. My Active Senior is an online senior-friendly tool that connects seniors and their family members with local senior service providers and products while helping service providers grow their businesses.
• PAKKE, cofounded by Emmett Ferra and Kiel Byrne. PAKKE is an events and experiences platform that boosts members of the creative economy by connecting them with audiences that are searching for more experiential moments in their lives.
• PositiveHire, founded by Michele Heyward. PositiveHire’s mission is to provide women of color STEM professionals equal access to management roles to retain them in STEM industries.
• Unwanted, cofounded by Andrea Gilliam and Nick Dowling. Unwanted provides a confidential platform for every member of an organization to safely and effectively address unwanted behavior and reduce harassment in their company.
• WealthyU, founded by Deborah Owens. WealthyU is on a mission to close the investment confidence and wealth gap for women of color by providing access to curriculum, coaching, and community that teaches wealth building for all incomes.

Throughout the program, SEED SPOT is hosting Venture Thursday events on Feb. 21, March 7 or March 21, for the community to hear the entrepreneurs pitch and provide feedback. The accelerator program will conclude with a community-wide Demo Day at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company on April 9, where each team will pitch their venture for the opportunity to win up to $15,000 in grants and other prizes.