MEET THE VILLAGEx 2022 COHORT
On January 12, 2022 the next cohort of our flagship VILLAGEx program kicks-off with two days of programming, onboarding, and networking. For the 12 selected companies, this marks the start of four months of intensive mentorship, custom trainings, and a host of resources provided by The Idea Village, including: marketing and design services, legal counsel in partnership with Jones Walker, LLP and fundraising preparation.
We’re thrilled to welcome these 12 startup companies into our Village!
The Idea Village’s 2022 VILLAGEx accelerator cohort is comprised of:
Liam Meier and Neal Shulman of Brewsy, an at-home winemaking experience that allows anyone to explore fermentation socially with an online community and social app with more than 7,000 users.
Founder Tobias Patch of Claimly, a user-friendly insurance claims management app that provides handy step-by-step guides, and unbiased information to anyone who’s in the disaster recovery process.
Maryclaire Manard and Jess Brunelle of Cluey Consumer, a searchable database showcasing thousands of brands’ social, environmental, and political impacts so consumers can buy products made in line with their values.
Diego Pinzon, Jake Gus, Sam Matluck, and Leo Simanonok of DAWn Audio, web-based application that allows musicians and audio artists anywhere in the world to co-create in real time.
Chris Cummings and Wendy Overton of Iconic Moments, the world’s first NFT marketplace for the 450,000 museums & cultural institutions globally.
Brent Craige, Marlon Butler, and Donovan Williams of Jamm Around, a geo social networking app connecting musicians around the world.
Claire Smith of Kidkred, a tech-enabled rewards systems platform that connects public schools and private companies to create performance incentives for students and helps relieve educator burnout.
Bayleigh Frickey and Stephanie Hilton of The Meetery, a dating app for in-person 1:1 speed dating that helps users make meaningful connections.
Ben Legum, Jody Strausser and Jennifer Vondran of Muse Engine, a platform that merges the flexibility of 3D printing with the speed and production quality of injection molding, providing the ability to manufacture small batch productions and prototypes in minutes.
Ronnie Harper and Tavis Piattoly of My Sports Dietitian, an app for improving an athlete's performance, body composition and overall health through a food first approach helping athlete's win.
Will Bradshaw of Reimagine Fund, changes what and how real estate projects get financing by democratizing access to tax equity investments and disrupting inequity.
Conway Solomon and Jonathan Foucheaux of WRSTBND, a powerful event tech ecosystem that provides tech engineers and event producers operational live entertainment event services.
Each of these companies went through a competitive selection process and were selected based on the potential of their novel products and services they are bringing to market, along with their growth potential, market insight, product stage, team strength, and evidence of product-market fit. From January through May 2022, they’ll be working closely with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Investor-in-Residence, custom Advisory Board, and a host of mentors through our extensive Mentor Network.
“The goal of the VILLAGEx accelerator program is to identify the entrepreneurs who are the future business leaders for our region and give them the tools needed to grow their companies,” said Jon Atkinson, CEO of The Idea Village. “These founders represent the future of a vibrant startup community in New Orleans.”
Follow each company through their website and social channels, and stay tuned to The Idea Village blog and newsletter for cohort updates!