Winston Salem, NC – October 7, 2021 – Three east coast based startups will share $50,000 in
seed-stage funding from the Center for Creative Economy’s Velocity Creative Accelerator based
in Winston-Salem.
The Velocity Accelerator culminated in a pitch competition September 30th followed by an
Awards Breakfast on October 1st. The organization’s sixth annual accelerator brings creative
startups from across NC and the US together to complete a 10-week entrepreneur education
program to refine their business plan, marketing strategy, and prepare pitches to investors. The
top three startups split a pool of $50,000 in seed-stage investment.
Leah Wyrick, founder of Three Strands Recovery Wear in Winston-Salem, NC took the top
award of $25,000, presented by Kyle Haney of Forsyth County’s Department of Community and
Economic Development. Three Strands Recovery Wear is a recovery garment company with a
current focus on post-operative bras for mastectomies and other breast surgeries. Leah was
also awarded $2,000 in software consultation from Sightsource to further develop her
technology, and pro bono legal services from Kilpatrick Townsend.
Rahul Kulkharni founder of Sukhi in Washington, D.C. received the second-place award of
$15,000 with their startup that is strengthening resilience in the modern workforce to foster
corporate wellness, collaboration and reduce burnout. Rahul also received $1,000 in software
consulting from Sightsource, and pro bono legal services from Kilpatrick Townsend.
Running third, receiving $10,000, was My Relief Wear LLC, founded by Mary McElya of
Greenville, SC. My Relief Wear is patent-pending cold therapy clothing that transforms the
process of icing painful aches and joints. The garments provide freedom of mobility, thin
anti-leak packs, and a fresh cool look. Mary also received $2,000 in software consulting from
Sightsource, and pro bono legal services from Kilpatrick Townsend.
Daryl Shaw, founder of Royalty Marketing, presented two marketing and social media awards
for 20 hours of marketing services each to:
JSQ Designs, founder Jenna Anderson, an apparel manufacturer that creates unique and
inclusive button down shirts from scratch in Winston-Salem, NC. JSQ creates items that are
unique and authentic for the customer.

Frogshop, Founder Malcolm Egun, of Newark, NJ, who has created software specifically for
gyms to streamline their business mixing fitness with ecommerce. Malcolm partners with more
than 50 dropship suppliers in the health & fitness industry and provides cloud-based automation
that helps small to mid-sized eCommerce businesses automate and deliver products. Malcolm
also received $4,000 in technology software consulting from Sightsource,
Winston Starts President, Bob Boles also welcomed Frogshop and JSQ Designs into the
Explore program, an 8 week discovery program for startups to get acquainted and develop
inside Winston-Salem’s own scalerator. After Explore, the founders pitch to determine their
potential for year round admission.
Luna Creative, founder Cordelia Norris, of Wilmington, NC, a design and marketing studio that
helps clients create positive change, with a focus on sustainability. Cordelia received $3,000 in
technology software consulting from Sightsource,
Each cohort member was also awarded a business coaching package from ActionCOACH –
Team Hauser, based in Winston-Salem.
Founders from 11 U.S. states and 11 countries applied to participate in this year’s accelerator.
Of the 6 startups chosen for the program, 67% are run by women entrepreneurs and 50% are
BIPOC founders.
According to Executive Director, Margaret Collins, “The cohort made great progress during
Velocity this year. They emerged strong, ready to launch and earn revenue. Our robust mentor
pool deserves high praise for their customized coaching of each founder to deliver what was
needed each week.”

Three startups have earned the top seed-stage investment awards in the Center for Creative Economy’s Velocity Creative Accelerator.

In the organization’s fifth 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.

The Agent Accelerator, a Winston-Salem based startup that helps real estate brokerages scale their business by providing innovative training solutions, took the top award of $25,000, presented by NC IDEA Foundation CEO and President, Thom Ruhe. The Agent Accelerator founder, Chelsea Goodwin, was invited by Winston Starts President, Bob Boles, into their eight-week Explore Program, a startup incubator that provides office space and supportive services to Winston-Salem entrepreneurs.

LiveMo from Seattle received the second-place award of $15,000 with their startup that empowers artists to easily share and monetize their content through LiveMo’s concert live-streaming platform. LiveMo founder, Fernando Turrent, also received a consultation package for $5,000 from Sightsource to further develop their technology.

Running third, receiving $10,000, was FELOH, founded by Camille Heard in Cleveland. FELOH is a social marketplace for hair care and beauty enthusiasts. FELOH also received a day of consulting from Sightsource and $2,500 of in-kind social media marketing services from Royalty Marketing.

Daryl Shaw with Royalty Marketing also presented a marketing and social media award for $2,500 to Y’all Company, uniting people through food and Y’all Sauce, southern charm in a bottle, and Wavlength, a creative agency that helps musicians build their brand and enhance their creative direction by connecting them with a global network of creatives.

Winston Starts also welcomed Upshots, a line of premium alcoholic desserts and savory shots, and MAXIMYZ, a mind focused, gamification platform designed to build smarter and healthier communicating teams, into their Explore program. 

Other awards include additional one-day technology consultations provided by Sightsource, pro bono legal services from Kilpatrick Townsend, business coaching packages from ActionCOACH – Team Hauser, and the Velocity Connections Award presented by SueMo Consulting. 

40 startups from 11 U.S. states and 11 countries globally applied to participate in this year’s accelerator. Of the 10 startups chosen for the program, 50% are run by women entrepreneurs and 50% are founded by people of color.  

According to Executive Director, Margaret Collins, “We are so proud of the progress made during Velocity this year. The startups really worked hard, honed their business models,  and financials.  They made informative and compelling pitches at the October 1st Demo Day.”

The other companies that completed the Velocity Creative Accelerator included:

• 2923 Comics (Kansas City, MO): Creates comic books that show the abuse of power in underserved communities, and how to overcome it. Founder Jauquan Herron showcases a wide representation of diverse urban communities within the stories. 
• Mobiiuz (Lyon, France): A patented add-on for standing desks that encourage users to naturally maintain a healthy posture and expend energy without fatigue while working.
• OWOGAME (Malaga, Spain): A wireless suit that allows players to feel over 30 different sensations in real-time while playing video games, and controlled through a mobile application, which allows users to increase or decrease the intensity of the sensations.

10 finalists of the Velocity Creative Accelerator will be presenting their innovative businesses during this year’s virtual Demo Day on Thursday, October 1. This is the fifth creative accelerator hosted by the Center for Creative Economy (CCE) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

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

During Demo Day, each participant will be pitching and showcasing their creative businesses to prospective funders, businesses, and the community. 

At this event, you can explore virtual demo tables and hear each startup pitch. Funding awards will be announced during the event.

Date: Thursday, October 1

Time: Virtual Demo Tables open at 3:30 pm. Program begins at 4 pm.

Registration: The event is free and completely virtual. Registration is required: https://hopin.to/events/velocity-creative-accelerator-demo-day

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

40 startups from 11 U.S. states and 11 countries globally applied to participate in this year’s accelerator. Of the 10 startups chosen for the program, 50% are run by women entrepreneurs and 50% are founded by people of color.

Since July 28, the Velocity participants have engaged in a robust curriculum developed by CCE in collaboration with Chris Mumford, Professor of Practice at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. This rigorous, street-smart curriculum is organized around the themes of Create, Tell, Sell, and Run, focusing on customer development, financial forecasting, business model, and product-market fit. Startups have worked with seasoned business mentors to guide them through the program.

Due to COVID-19, the entire program has been offered online for those not able to meet in person. CCE did keep its in-person component, which began with Kick-Off Weekend in Winston-Salem, August 7- 9. The event brought the cohort together for introductions and jumped right into customer discovery, financials, and finding your why.  

Participants will return to Winston-Salem for Velocity Week September 27th through October 2nd. Post Velocity, startups have the opportunity to continue to work with their mentors and showcase their business to prospective funders.

Since its inception in 2016, CCE’s creative accelerator has launched 40 companies, with 90% still in business, having made $8.1 million in revenue, raising $7.4 million in investments, and having created 177 jobs. “Our startups have made huge strides each year. We are proud of their great work serving customers and growing their businesses. The 2020 cohort is no exception, and I’m sure will do very well as they launch their companies.” says, Margaret Collins, CCE’s Founding Executive Director.  

This year’s cohort is using their creative talents to bring innovation to their industries:

• 2923 Comics (Kansas City, MO): Creates comic books that show the abuse of power in underserved communities, and how to overcome it. Founder Jauquan Herron showcases a wide representation of diverse urban communities within the stories. 
• The Agent Accelerator (Winston-Salem, NC): A real estate franchise model and community that provides training and coaching for new real estate agents to thrive.
• FELOH (Cleveland, OH): A social marketplace for hair care and beauty. Social activity within the platform allows users to earn cash to go towards purchases within the FELOH store. Brands have the ability to post products for purchase.
• LiveMo (Seattle, WA): a concert live-streaming platform focused on high-quality audio, that makes it easy for artists to share and monetize their content.
• MAXIMYZ (Winston-Salem, NC): Strengthening mental fitness through uniquely themed interactive, immersive, and engaging brain game adventures both online and in-person.
• Mobiiuz (Lyon, France): A patented add-on for standing desks that encourage users to naturally maintain a healthy posture and expend energy without fatigue while working.
• OWOGAME (Malaga, Spain): A wireless suit that allows players to feel over 30 different sensations in real-time while playing video games, and controlled through a mobile application, which allows users to increase or decrease the intensity of the sensations.
• Upshots (Winston-Salem, NC): A line of premium alcoholic desserts and savory shots in individual servings available through bars, restaurants, and caterers.
• Wavelength (Philadelphia, PA): A creative agency that helps musicians build their brand and enhance their creative direction by connecting them with a global network of creatives.
• Y’all Company, Inc. (Winston-Salem, NC): Uniting people through food and Y’all Sauce, southern charm in a bottle.

Winston-Salem, NC (August 11, 2020) – The Center for Creative Economy has selected 10 creative entrepreneurs to participate in the organization’s fifth creative accelerator. Velocity is an intensive high impact program that helps creative entrepreneurs discover their target customers, develop business models, and develop a go-to-market strategy. Top startups in this 9-week program will split a pool of $50,000 in seed-stage funding. 

40 startups from 11 U.S. states and 11 countries globally applied to participate in this year’s accelerator. Of the 10 startups chosen for the program, 50% are run by women entrepreneurs and 50% are founded by people of color.

Velocity will be in session July 28 to October 2 and engages a curriculum developed by Professor of Practice at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chris Mumford. This rigorous, street-smart curriculum is organized around the themes of Create, Tell, Sell, and Run, focusing on customer development, financial forecasting, business model, and product-market fit. Startups will also work with professional mentors to guide them through the program.

Due to COVID-19, the entire program is being offered online for those not able to meet in person. CCE will continue with its in-person components, which began with Kick-Off Weekend in Winston-Salem, August 7th through the 9th. Six startups joined CCE for the opening event to jumpstart the program, introduce the cohort and mentors, and catalyze their workflow. 

Participants are invited back to Winston-Salem for Velocity Week taking place September 27th through October 2nd. Post Velocity, startups have the opportunity to continue to work with their mentors and showcase their business to prospective funders. 

Since its inception in 2016, CCE’s creative accelerator has launched 40 companies, with 90% still in business, having made $8.1 million in revenue, raising $7.4 million in investments, and having created 177 jobs. “Our startups have made huge strides each year. We are proud of their great work serving customers and growing their businesses. The 2020 cohort is no exception, and I’m sure will do very well in the marketplace,” says, Margaret Collins, CCE’s Founding Executive Director.  

This year’s cohort is using their creative talents to bring innovation to their industries:

• 2923 Comics (Kansas City, MO): Creates comic books that show the abuse of power in underserved communities, and how to overcome it. Founder Jauquan Herron showcases a wide representation of diverse urban communities within the stories. 
• The Agent Accelerator (Winston-Salem, NC): A real estate franchise model and community that provides training and coaching for new real estate agents to thrive.
• FELOH (Cleveland, OH): A social marketplace for hair care and beauty. Social activity within the platform allows users to earn cash to go towards purchases within the FELOH store. Brands have the ability to post products for purchase.
• LiveMo (Seattle, WA): a concert live-streaming platform focused on high-quality audio, that makes it easy for artists to share and monetize their content.
• M1ND 6YM (Winston-Salem, NC): Strengthening mental fitness through uniquely themed interactive, immersive, and engaging brain game adventures both online and in-person.
• Mobiiuz (Lyon, France): A patented add-on for standing desks that encourage users to naturally maintain a healthy posture and expend energy without fatigue while working.
• OWOGAME (Malaga, Spain): A wireless suit that allows players to feel over 30 different sensations in real-time while playing video games, and controlled through a mobile application, which allows users to increase or decrease the intensity of the sensations.
• Upshots (Winston-Salem, NC): A line of premium alcoholic desserts and savory shots in individual servings available through bars, restaurants, and caterers.
• Wavelength (Philadelphia, PA): A creative agency that helps musicians build their brand and enhance their creative direction by connecting them with a global network of creatives.
• Y’all Company, Inc. (Winston-Salem, NC): Uniting people through food and Y’all Sauce, southern charm in a bottle.