Winston Salem, NC – December 9, 2019 – Three startups have earned the top seed-stage investment awards for creative uses of technology in the Center for Creative Economy’s Velocity Creative Accelerator.

In the organization’s fourth annual education and seed funding program, ten creative entrepreneurs completed a 9-week entrepreneur education program that refined their business plans and pitches to investors to be one of the top three startups to split a pool of $50,000 in seed-stage investment.

Live Furnish, Winston-Salem, NC, andNew Delhi, India,a technology innovation company that has reinvented how home furnishings and textile companies bring their products to life in photographs, took the top award of $25,000, presented by INMAR CEO, David Mounts. “Our technology has been in development for two years, so Velocity came along at just the right time to help us refine our presentations, allow us to work with mentors in our core industries, and kick-start our discussions with investors,” said the company’s CEO, Preet Singh. Started two years ago in India, Live Furnish was invited by Director Betsy Brown into Winston Starts Explore Program, a startup incubator that provides office space and supportive services to Winston-Salem entrepreneurs. They also received a $5,000 technology services award presented by CFO and Co-Founder, Balint Gaspar from Sightsource, a cutting-edge custom software development and consulting company in Winston-Salem. 

Tokyn from Winston-Salem gamed their way to the second award of $15,000 with their startup that empowers board gamers to discover new games at wholesale prices and connects local like-minded players through the company’s app. The company’s co-founders, CEO Evan Kline and CFO, managing partner, Houston Goodwin, were active participants in Velocity. “This was a valuable program that helped us fine-tune our business concept and plan. We gave our final pitch to the investors and to over 200 people who came to Demo Night. We are looking forward to also joining Winston Starts.” Tokyn also received an award for legal counsel from Kilpatrick Townsend that provides pro bono legal services to all the Velocity seed funding winners. They also received a software development package for $2,000 from Sightsource to develop their app.

Running third, receiving $10,000, was Elevate, founded by Mike Schmid in Winston-Salem. The company helps orthotic practitioners provide the best care by using data, software and 3D printing to create hyper-customized orthotics that fit and keep athletes in the game. Elevate will also join the Winston Starts Explore Program.

Daryl Shaw with Royalty Marketing presented a marketing and social media award for $2,500 to Winston-Salem’s AstraHive, a cloud-based “dashboard app for bizzy creatives” that aggregates information and data from third-party applications into a platform that allows crafty creators to manage key statistics about their businesses.

Winston Starts also welcomed iScribble (Raleigh, NC) into the Explore Program to help relaunch its universal online drawing software where artists collaborate with one another in real time. This means the iScribble team will regularly work in Winston-Salem during the eight-week program. The company also received a $3,000 award from Sightsource to accelerate its development efforts.

42 companies from 11 countries applied to participate in this year’s program. Of the 10 companies selected for the program, 70 percent were run by female entrepreneurs and half of the teams have people of color in their leadership. The other companies that completed the Velocity program included:

• Audiciones Latinas (Mexico City, Mexico): A professional web-based service for music and entertainment artists where users can cast and contact the artists they need.
• Bloom Collective (Winston-Salem, NC): Promotes economic opportunity through environmentally and culturally sustainable handmade products that cultivate social good.
• The GINA Project (Columbia, MO): Developers of a gamified platform to help individuals who suffer from anxiety disorders lead empowered and balanced lives.
• Momtography Club (Lovettsville, VA): A community for moms who want to learn how to use photography and their creative skills to capture what matters and create a life they love.
• The Nexus Center (San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR): Offers an integrated approach to “fitness,” and provides classes that help manage stress, craft meaningful purpose in your life, and create authentic connections with others.

With the 2019 Velocity cohort, 40 companies have now participated in CCE’s accelerators and 87 percent are still thriving. “Our startups have raised $3.3 million in funding and generated $3.6 million in revenues” added CCE Director, Margaret Collins. “Our accelerator has proven its success in creating more than 66 jobs and helping creative entrepreneurs succeed. We’re especially proud of the fact that 70 percent of the founders of the companies in our program are women- or minority-owned.”

The Center for Creative Economy is a non-profit organization that helps launch, grow, and accelerate creative businesses.  

Ten finalists in “Velocity,” the fourth annual education and seed funding accelerator for creative entrepreneurs, will present their innovative business concepts during DEMO NIGHT.  Velocity is presented by the Center for Creative Economy (CCE) in Winston-Salem, NC.

During DEMO NIGHT the 10 companies will showcase their initiatives to media, funding prospects and businesses.

The 10 entrepreneurial companies have been participating in a 9-week education and mentoring program that culminates with the top three startups splitting a pool of $50,000 in seed-stage investment.

At DEMO NIGHT, you can explore the demo tables and hear each team’s pitch.

NEW THIS YEAR: Funding awards will be announced at the event.
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 2019
TIME: Doors open at 5PM. Program begins at 6PM.
LOCATION: Biotech Place, Wake Forest Innovation Quarter
575 N. Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem, NC

NOTES: The event is FREE. Registration is required at:   https://www.centerforcreativeeconomy.com/2019-demo-night

• Free drinks and food, while supplies last.
• The event is free and open to the public.

DEMO NIGHT is presented in collaboration with Wake Forest Innovation Quarter and  Venture Cafe Winston-Salem!

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

42 companies from 11 countries applied to participate in this year’s Velocity program.

Of the 10 companies selected for the program, 70 percent are run by female entrepreneurs and half of the teams have people of color in their leadership.

From July 30 to September 27, “Velocity” used a rigorous 24-module educational curriculum developed by Professor of Practice at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chris Mumford. CCE licensed Mumford’s curriculum and created collaborative content to create the Velocity accelerator. The entrepreneurs also worked with professional mentors to guide them through the program.

The entrepreneurs will be in Winston-Salem for the five-day VELOCITY WEEK, from September 22-27 in Winston-Salem, to work directly with global visionaries and creative leaders.

According to the 2018 Creative Startups Impact Report issued by CCE, 30 companies have participated in its prior accelerators; and 87 percent are still thriving. “Our startups have raised $3.1 million in funding and generated $3.4 million in revenues” added CCE Director, Margaret Collins. “Our accelerator has proven its success in creating more than 50 jobs and helping creative entrepreneurs succeed. We’re especially proud of the fact that 70 percent of the founders of the companies in our program are women- or minority-owned.”

The new cohort’s companies challenge old ways of doing business and offer new, creative solutions:

• AstraHive (Winston-Salem, NC): A cloud-based dashboard that aggregates information and data from third-party applications into an efficient, easy-to-use platform that allows crafty creators to manage key statistics about their businesses.
• Audiciones Latinas (Mexico City, Mexico): A professional web-based service for music and entertainment artists where users can cast and contact the artists they need.
• Elevate Insoles (Winston-Salem, NC): Creators of bespoke, 3D-printed orthotics to high-caliber athletics, on demand.
• The GINA Project (Columbia, MO): Developers of a gamified platform to help individuals who suffer from anxiety disorders lead empowered and balanced lives.
• iScribble (Raleigh, NC): An online service that enhances the artistic community by providing a universal drawing software where artists can collaborate with one another in real time.
• Live Furnish Inc. (New Delhi, India): A photography automation platform for the home textiles and furnishing industries.
• The Nexus Center (San Francisco, CA): Offers classes to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health via an all-in-one membership program.
• Momtography (Lovettsville, VA): A community for moms who want to learn how to use photography and their creative skills to capture what matters and create a life they love.
• Bloom Collective (Winston-Salem, NC): Promotes economic opportunity through environmentally and culturally sustainable microbusinesses, including crafting, gardening/farming and catering services.
• Tokyn (Winston-Salem, NC): Empowers board gamers to discover, connect and play new games with like-minded players at wholesale prices.

The Center for Creative Economy is a non-profit organization that helps launch, grow, and accelerate creative businesses.

“NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic advancement in North Carolina, announced today that the organization is awarding thirteen grants, totaling over $1.5 million to organizations throughout the state that support the Foundation’s vision to empower North Carolinians to achieve their entrepreneurial potential.

“Today’s announcement is the Foundation’s largest single funding to date, bringing our total in ECOSYSTEM grants to nearly $3 million to 24 organizations over the past two years,” said Thom Ruhe, President and CEO of NC IDEA. “By partnering with these organizations, we create greater opportunity for the statewide exchange of ideas, experiences and connections,” Ruhe added.”

Read the full article here.

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Are you interested in prototyping a new leadership development activity being created by the Center for Creative Leadership?

As part of CCL’s product development process, we invite volunteers to help us test out our new creations free of charge and in return we ask for their input on how to make the experience better.  

On Thursday Nov 9 from 1:30 to 3:30 we will be prototyping a new activity that will provide a chance for participants to practice leadership skills such as communication and influence.  When it is complete, this new activity will be the capstone for our Maximizing Your Leadership Potential Program.  The activity will take 90 minutes and then we’ll have a half an hour to hear what you thought.

If you are interested or to get more information, please contact Diane Reinhold at reinholdd@ccl.org.