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November 16, 2018

VFA Fellows Named to 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Eric Huang and Steven Mazur, cofounders of Ash & ErieEach year, Forbes publishes its annual 30 Under 30 list, naming the most innovative, ambitious, and hustling young entrepreneurs across the US and Canada. For the third time, we’re proud to announce that VFA Fellow Founders have made the cut!
This year, three 2013 Fellows have made the cut!

Eric Huang and Steven Mazur, cofounders of Ash & Erie

Eric Huang and Steven Mazur, cofounders of Ash & Erie, were featured in the Retail & Commerce category of the list. Eric and Steven met in Detroit during their Fellowships. After bonding over their shared desire to start a company and their frustrations with finding clothes designed for men of their stature, they joined forces to start their brand.
Ash & Erie makes clothes for shorter guys. All of their clothes are specifically tailored and tested to fit men 5’8″ and under. The two leveraged VFA Launch resources, like the Accelerator and Innovation Fund, to get the company going. After selling out inventory after each new product launch, they even won a deal from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank
Now the company is on track to pull in more than $1 million in sales this year! Read their story here.
 
David Roger, Founder and CEO of Felix Gray

After too much screen time left his eyes strained, David Roger set out to find a solution. As Founder and CEO of Felix Gray, David’s company is reducing eye strain one fashionable pair of glasses at a time. Their proprietary lenses filter blue light and eliminate glare, two common culprits behind eye strain. But unlike other light filtering glasses, Felix Gray lenses are completely clear in stylish frames and available with your prescription—so they look just like any other pair of eyeglasses.
To build the company, David participated in the Innovation Fund and received investment funding from the VFA Seed Fund. Now, Felix Gray is on track to do $14 million in sales this year. Learn more about David and see the full list of honorees here.

Posted in: News, Fellows

VFA Has Ceased Operations


Since its first cohort in 2012, Venture For America (VFA) has championed entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth across the nation. As of August 6, 2024, VFA has ceased its operations. While this marks the end of an era, it also provides an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary accomplishments and lasting impact that we have achieved together.

Please click here to read the full update.

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