The Georgetown Startup Accelerator

——— Learn More About Our 2022 Cohort ———

About the Georgetown Startup Accelerator

The Georgetown Startup Accelerator (GSA) will bring together Georgetown alumni entrepreneurs in early stage startup companies with experienced mentors, peers, and top subject matter experts to help accelerate their business progress. Participating companies will have the opportunity to: 

  • Work 1:1 with experienced mentors
  • Set short and long-term company growth metrics
  • Attend weekly workshops with exciting guest speakers 
  • Learn alongside a community of peer entrepreneurs
  • Showcase your company to the Georgetown community
Our program is entirely remote, so companies can apply no matter where they are based!

Please note that we do not take equity nor provide cash funding for participating companies.

Programming Overview

Each weekly workshop will be led by a different expert in GU’s network of mentors, established alumni, and faculty. Our programming focuses on the key areas to building a successful business, such as: 

Baselining and Goal Setting

Product Market Fit and Customer Feedback

Leading and Building Successful Teams

Sales and Generating Demand

The Business of Running A Business 

Fundraising and Investing

Fall Cohort

AMO

Founder: Ayokunle Amoo (SCS'20)
AMO, Inc. is a sports nutrition brand that uses natural superfoods to formulate functional CPG products for athletes.

Chili Maven

Founder: Alexa Fernandez (MBA/MPP'05)
We make bland food more exciting using the exciting flavor sensations of chilis and other authentic Mexican flavors.

Civic

Founders: Thomas Connelly (SFS '21) and Matias Burdman (C'21)
Civic aims to revolutionize community organizing by becoming the first social platform dedicated to civic engagement.

Enna Health

Founders: Nirmal Maitra (NHS'17, M'22), Abdullah Abdukareem, Nikhil Maitra
Hi-Rx is a mobile healthcare company; we send a trained medical professional to the patient’s preferred location to perform a variety of services, including sample collection and delivery, immunizations and concierge patient education services.

Favordrop

Founders: Conor McCarrick (NHS '17) and Jack Sardinia (NHS '17)
Favordrop is a mobile application for restaurants to drive in customers on slow days, and for customers to send restaurant gift cards via mobile.

IntimacyMoons

Founders: Michael Nelson (G'05 and C'04) and Marissa Nelson
IntimacyMoons is the premier luxury couples retreat experience, partnering with high-end hotel partners to provide guests with psycho-emotional coaching and guidance needed from a licensed therapist to deepen emotional intimacy and take their renewed intimacy home.

KnoNap

Founder: Danya Sherman (MBA'21)
Through our empowerment tools which enable discreet, rapid drug detection in beverages, and educational content, KnoNap works to empower, educate, and advocate against drug facilitated sexual assault and crime.

manakii

Founder: Sowmya Pelluru
A social impact and sustainability-driven underwear company for women of all shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds, orientations.

Postbys Inc.

Founders: Erik Victorin (C'18), Anvar Brooks (C'18), and Param Jaggi
Reverse-Marketplace software as a service solution for the world's tradeshow, convention & conference industry.

Share Scoops, Inc.

Founder: Augustus Christensen (C'14)
Share Scoops helps young people build the confidence to invest by engaging them with gamified news focused on corporations' social and environmental impacts.

Skye Coaching

Founders: Jessica Wolf, Tony Lin (C'14), Gabe Chen
A coaching platform that connects individuals with vetted coaches and supports coaches in accelerating their business.

Sunroot Gifting Company

Founder: Maryn Cannon (B'18)
Sunroot Gifting Company is a mission-based eCommerce startup that curates gift boxes focused on celebrating human moments, sourced exclusively from independent makers and female-owned businesses.

Wellness Without Borders

Founder: Alejandro Correa (C'19)
A web platform connecting Latin American Therapists with Spanish Speakers in U.S. based on shared interests, values, nationality, and mental health needs for no more than $40/hour.

Testimonials

My business will absolutely grow directly as a result of the connections the GSA made for me. I have gained advisors I would never have had access to otherwise, we likely will land a big chain retailer, and I likely secured investment for my business.
Tory PrattFounder of Pratt Standard
Not only did my co-founder and I gain valuable and actionable insights from the workshops and programming, but the GSA also did an excellent job of pairing us with our mentor, an industry expert who opened doors and made an immediate impact on our strategy.
Russell BarCEO of Hi-RX
We enrolled in the accelerator with clear goals, and we were able to meet them. We made invaluable connections, honed a growth strategy for our business with the help of our mentor, and were able to position ourselves for a fundraise through the sessions and Demo Day.
Sam BlatteisCo-Founder of Home Base Spirits
I thought the most valuable aspect was preparing for a Demo Day because it required us to prepare financials, develop an exit strategy, and also improve my pitch skills.
Neal Singal and Anna GiaquintoCo-Founders of Globally Unified Air Quality
GSA allowed my co-founder and I to stress-test our business model, refine our thesis, and grow from an idea to a company with clients during the span of the program. Meeting other founders and working with the GSA team proved invaluable to our growth.
Mel LeveyCo-founder of Joint Homes
Going forward, the biggest impact will probably be from the connections we made with both investors, mentors, and the cohort.
Rostam ReifscheiderCo-Founder of Hydrova
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Accelerator Guest Speakers

Alex Diaz-Asper

Principal and Founder of VentureCount

Catherine Colwell (MBA'19)

Vice President, Technology at Interior Define

Doug Bouton (C'07)

President & COO, Halo
Top Creamery
Shape

Ellen Eisenberg

Co-Founder, EuroSort

Howard
Eisenberg

Founder, President (North America), EuroSort

Joe Derrigo

Partner at Foley &
Lardner LLP

John Jabara

Lecturer of Entrepreneurship, University of Maryland Clark School of Engineering

Jordan DeCicco

President, Kitu Life Inc.

Liz Leahy

Founding Partner at Purple Sage Ventures

Nitya Rajendran

Senior Associate,
Tribeca Venture Partners

Ryan Croft

Entrepreneur in Residence, Georgetown University

Ted Leonsis (C'77)

CEO of Monumental Sports
and Entertainment

Peter Mellen (MBA'98)

Founder, Netcito

Ryan Kuder
(B'96)

Managing Director, Techstars Anywhere at Techstars

Rick Robinson

Vice President of Product & Startup Engagement at AARP

Slade Smith

Managing Partner at Stackmatix

Program Information

Important Dates

August 11, 2021: Accelerator applications close.
August 11 - September 1, 2021: Select founders are invited to move forward to interview.
September 3, 2020: Cohort is selected and notified of acceptance.
September 21, 2021: Accelerator kicks off.
November 16, 2021: Final Showcase.
November 18, 2021: Accelerator programming concludes.

Eligibility

Applying teams should meet the following eligibility criteria:
• At least one founder must be an alumni of Georgetown University.
• Companies should have at least an MVP.
• If your startup is not your full-time job, applicants should be prepared to dedicate at least 20 hours a week to growing their business over the course of the program.
• Ventures can be of any industry but must be for-profit companies.
• Companies can be located anywhere in the country or across the globe.

Cost

Companies that are accepted into the program will pay a one time fee of $500 to participate.

Georgetown Startup Accelerator Partners

——— Fill Out Our Interest Form For the Spring '22 Cycle ———

If you have any questions along the way, please
contact Callie Jacobs (callie.jacobs@georgetown.edu).