Meet our featured founders
Helen Adeosun
Founder & CEO
careacademy
Helen founded CareAcademy to empower caregivers with the skills and support needed to provide exceptional care to older adults. CareAcademy's best-in-class online education platform offers engaging, video-based training that helps caregivers upskill, advance their careers, and improve client outcomes. By simplifying caregiver training, the company enables home care and home health agencies to attract, retain, and grow their workforce. Today, CareAcademy proudly supports thousands of agencies, franchisors, and caregivers nationwide in delivering high-quality care.
bruno van tuykom
Co-founder & CEO
twentyeight health
Bruno Van Tuykom is the co-founder and CEO of Twentyeight Health, a women's health platform established in 2018. Passionate about increasing access to healthcare, Bruno leads the Brooklyn-based company in offering online prescriptions and delivery for birth control, STI prevention, menstrual care products, and other related health services. Twentyeight Health focuses on providing convenient and discreet reproductive and sexual healthcare services, particularly for underserved communities.
saurabh Kamalapurkar
Founder & CEO
guardians collective
Saurabh Kamalapurkar is the founder and CEO of Guardians Collective, a company he established in 2020 to support parents navigating the challenges of raising young children. Guardians Collective offers educator-led parenting circles, connecting small groups of families with early childhood educators to provide information, help, and advice in a safe, anonymous setting. The platform aims to make first-time parenting less isolating and more collaborative by fostering community support among parents.
sara mauskopf
Co-founder & CEO
winnie
Sara Mauskopf is the co-founder and CEO of Winnie, a San Francisco-based childcare marketplace established in 2016. Winnie is an online platform that assists parents in discovering local daycares and preschools, providing detailed information on programs, tuition, licensing, and availability. Childcare providers utilize Winnie to fill open spaces, build waitlists, and access resources to manage their businesses efficiently. Since its inception, Winnie has expanded nationwide, connecting millions of parents with high-quality childcare options across the United States.
patrick girouard
Founder & CEO
district cover
Patrick Girouard is the founder and CEO of District Cover, a public benefit corporation launched in 2024 to address the insurance challenges faced by city-based small businesses. Under his leadership, District Cover offers data-driven, tailored insurance policies that cater to the unique risk profiles of urban enterprises. The company's proprietary, non-admitted commercial insurance products provide sustainable solutions as traditional options become increasingly scarce and costly. Committed to community support, District Cover collaborates closely with brokers to ensure small businesses have consistent access to insurance, empowering their growth and resilience.
wemimo abbey
Co-founder & CEO
esusu
Wemimo Abbey is the co-founder and co-CEO of Esusu, a financial technology company he established in 2018 alongside Samir Goel. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Abbey experienced financial exclusion firsthand, which inspired him to create solutions for underserved communities. Esusu focuses on reporting rent payments to major credit bureaus, enabling renters to build credit and fostering financial inclusion. The platform collaborates with property owners and managers to enhance property performance while empowering residents. Under Abbey's leadership, Esusu has expanded its services nationwide, supporting millions of renters across the United States.
Luke mairo
Co-founder & COO
voltpost
Luke Mairo is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Voltpost. Before founding Voltpost, Luke gained experience in the business and finance sectors, including roles at Barclays' Corporate Bank, where he focused on energy and technology companies. He also served as a Techstars mentor and a teaching assistant in sustainable entrepreneurship at Columbia University. Voltpost specializes in retrofitting existing lampposts into modular and upgradable electric vehicle charging stations, aiming to democratize charging access and decarbonize urban mobility. By integrating charging technology with urban infrastructure, Voltpost provides sustainable and convenient EV charging solutions in cities.
Travis holoway
Co-founder & CEO
rodney williams
Co-founder & President
Solo funds
Travis Holoway and Rodney Williams co-founded SoLo Funds in 2018 to provide an alternative to traditional banking and high-interest credit options. SoLo Funds is a peer-to-peer lending platform that enables individuals to borrow and lend money within their community, fostering financial autonomy and inclusion. The platform has achieved significant milestones, including over 2 million downloads and more than 1.4 million disbursements, with 82% of its members hailing from underserved zip codes. As a Certified Public Benefit Corporation, SoLo Funds is committed to empowering underserved communities through accessible financial solutions.