Well, this is it! Like a lot of other good things in life (childhood, college, Memorial Day Weekend…), the inaugural Venture for America Accelerator is coming to an end. The journey wasn’t without its speed bumps or even slight detours (pro-tip: always Google your company name before making it official), but 12 weeks later, our five teams have emerged stronger and more laser-focused than ever before.
Over the course of early mornings, late nights, and long bus rides to and from New York, they’ve crystallized their visions, closed their first deals, tried on sample products, built out their technology infrastructures, and raised a combined $100k. Then there’s those intangible qualities – integrity, grit and resilience to name a few – that we know are essential to becoming high-character leaders and influencers in today’s world. They may be leaving the nest and spreading their entrepreneurial wings, but this is just the start to a long life as part of the #VFAmily.
Wondering what’s next for our teams when they officially wrap up the VFA Accelerator on the last day of May?
Ash and Anvil
Steven Mazur and Eric Huang will head on home to Detroit to be closer to their manufacturer (and other Fellows, of course). Over the next few months, they’ll finalize sizing adjustments on their first product– a button-down shirt– before beginning a production run this summer. They’ll also continue to ramp up their online presence and generate momentum on social media.
Contact Ash and Anvil | Learn more
Bearkat
Kate Leisy and Claire Kim received their first samples a few weeks ago, and now are close to finalizing adjustments to their first product, a pair of boxers they’ve dubbed the “Adventure Short.” And this summer, it’s time for production! The dynamic duo will be moving to Los Angeles once the accelerator ends to be closer to their manufacturing partner.
Contact Bearkat | Learn more
Compass
Mike Wilner, Taylor Sundali, and Matt Fulton will put down roots in Philly and continue raising a seed round. Between scaling their sales processes, refining their onboarding system, and building out their referral program, they’re going to be a busy trio.
Contact Compass | Learn more
LeagueSide
Evan Brandoff and Zubin Teherani will continue building LeagueSide in Philly over the summer. They’ll focus on rapidly growing their pipeline of brands while also expanding their network of leagues across the country.
Contact LeagueSide | Learn more
Sky Mutual
John Yarchoan will be staying in Philly, too! His next step is to work on closing more deals with ski resorts on the west coast, finding ways to make inroads into the construction industry, and exploring reinsurance solutions.
Contact SkyMutual | Learn more
And a special thanks to all those who made it possible!
It took a lot hard work from our companies and the VFA Team to launch our first-ever accelerator, but none of it would’ve been possible without the help of our incredible supporters. We’d like to thank the Blackstone Charitable Foundation for their generosity and giving our young entrepreneurs the chance to pursue their ideas full-time.
We also owe a huge thanks to First Round Capital for providing the office space that allowed our Fellows to work side-by-side in an energetic– and objectively awesome– space. They’ve even been generous enough to allow several teams to continue working there throughout the summer!
Finally, we’d like to thank all of the mentors and speakers that contributed their time and energy to help our teams get off the ground – their expertise and sincere engagement in the program was invaluable.
If you’re interested in investing in any of the teams raising a seed round or would like to support them in any other way, don’t hesitate to reach out to them directly or get in touch with us!