Meet the 2020 Semi-Finalists for the Camelback Fellowship
Each year, we find ourselves working through this intensive and exciting experience we call Recruitment & Selection. Since Camelback began, it’s been a part of our work cycle: searching, identifying, and sharing innovative, underrepresented social entrepreneurs. Our process has changed each year, sometimes in dramatic ways and sometimes in smaller refinements. We have known for a while now that it’s not a pipeline problem and a few years ago, we made a point to the haters. This year, our process has been about supporting new technical founders of color (as we co-designed a new platform with former Camelback Semi-Finalist Daquan Oliver and his platform, WeThrive) and experimenting with new systems to match the recent evolutions in our Fellowship.
No matter the ups and downs of our growing pains, the end result is that we have a list of 120 incredible Semi-Finalists to spotlight and share. Their passion, dedication, and perseverance is what fuels our team’s hustle. These candidates will go through a more rigorous next round that takes a close look at financials, metrics of success, and team analysis. We will announce in early November with an update on our list of expected 45 Finalists, and then again in mid-December announcing our next cohort of 22-24 entrepreneurs, the 2020 Camelback Fellows.
Congratulations to all our Semi-Finalists, and thank you again to all applicants for sharing their work with us!
SEMI-FINALISTS IN EDUCATION
Camelback Ventures began with Education as its first track (you could also call it portfolio, impact area, pillar, focus — all those good words) with a pilot run out of founder Aaron T. Walker’s Brooklyn living room in 2014. Today, Camelback has supported 35+ education entrepreneurs, leaders of innovative school models, creators of thoughtful programming, and game-changing technology. We began with education because we believe it is at the core of our mission and vision to create a nation of livable communities where everyone has the opportunity for a quality education and a good life.
Semi-Finalists are listed alphabetically by organization name; candidate name follows organization name. Semi-Finalists in this category may be nonprofits, for-profits, hybrids, or schools:
ACCEPT: Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today | Marie Bigham | Nonprofit | www.acceptgroup.org | New Orleans, LA
ALAS | Lisa Maria Rhodes | Nonprofit | www.facebook.com/freealas | New Orleans, LA
Almost Fun | Lisa Wang | Nonprofit | almostfun.org | New York, NY
Artful Math | Kelli Pearson | For Profit | https://artfulmath.com | Santa Clara, CA
Be Loud Studios | Diana Turner | Nonprofit | beloudstudios.org | New Orleans, LA
BestFit, Inc. | Asha Owens | For Profit | https://best-fit.app | Columbus, GA
Black Women Educators' League (BWEL) | Kristen N. Briggs | Nonprofit | www.bweleague.org | New York, NY
Brothers at Peace | Ronald Scott | Nonprofit | www.brothersatpeace.org | New Orleans, LA
Butterfly Haven | Tamica Jackson | Nonprofit | Chicago, IL
Cafe Ama | Angelique Sina | Nonprofit | cafeama.com | Vieques Island, PR and Washington, D.C.
Canduit | Leah Davidson | Hybrid | www.canduit.co | Washington, D.C. and Lincoln, NE
Capital Experience Lab | Lanette Dailey-Reese | School | https://sites.google.com/capxlab.org/home | Washington, D.C.
CareerLIFE | Calvin J Littlejohn | Nonprofit | www.careerlife.org | Birmingham, AL
Chef Koochooloo | Layla Sabourian | For Profit | https://chefkoochooloo.com/ | Mountain View, CA
Civitas Community Impact Experience (CCIE) | Lahari Goud | Hybrid | https://www.cciechicago.org/ | Chicago, IL
CODEd Academy | Kennan Scott | School | www.codedacademy.school | Oakland, CA
Collaborative Prep | Raj Pandey | For Profit | www.collaborativeprep.com | Boston, MA
Creating Balance in STEM | Taica Hsu | Nonprofit | San Francisco, CA
Daughters Beyond Incarceration | Dominque Jones | Nonprofit | www.dbinola.org | New Orleans, LA
EdMobilizer | Viet Nguyen | Nonprofit | New York, NY
Emerge Puerto Rico | Christine "Enid Nieves Rodriguez" | Nonprofit | www.emergepuertorico.org | Humacao, PR
Excellent Readers, Inc. | Dwann Wagner | Nonprofit | www.excellentreaders.org | New Orleans, LA
EXTRAordinary Youth | La'Shondra Johnson | Nonprofit | https://www.extraordinaryouthinc.org/ | Miami, FL
Financial Friends Foundation, Inc. | Chelsea Sarae Addison | Nonprofit | financialfriendsbooks.com | St. Louis, MO and Atlanta, GA
FitLit | Katherine Leiva | Nonprofit | https://www.fitlitters.com/ | Miami, FL
Fiveable | Amanda DoAmaral | For Profit | http://fiveable.me | Milwaukee, WI
FloraMind | Mahmoud Khedr | For Profit | www.FloraMind.com | New York City, NY
For Oak Cliff | Taylor Toynes | Nonprofit | www.foroakcliff.org | Dallas, Texas
He is Me Institute | Robert Hendricks | Nonprofit | heisme.org | Boston, MA
Healthy Hip Hop | Roy Scott | For Profit | https://www.healthy.hiphop | Kansas City, MO
HomeWorks Trenton | Natalie Tung | Nonprofit | https://homeworkstrenton.org | Trenton, NJ
Indy Promise Academy | Geoff Fenelus | School | Indianapolis, IN
Inspiring Minds NYC | Katrena Perou | Nonprofit | www.inspiringmindsnyc.org | Brooklyn, NY
It's Not Complicated Tutoring (INC Tutoring)| Jay Veal | For Profit | www.inctutoring.com | Dallas, TX
Ivy New Orleans Leadership Academy | Jaime Johnson-Duplessis | School | www.ivynola.org | New Orleans, LA
JOURNi | Richard Grundy | Nonprofit | journi.org | Detroit, MI
K. Allen Consulting, LLC | Krystal Hardy Allen | Hybrid | www.kallenconsulting.org | Selma, AL
Kids in Tech | Olu Ibrahim | Nonprofit | www.kidsintech.org | Lowell, MA
Kidstarters & Co. | Maribel Mendoza | For Profit | http://kidstarters.co/ | Boston and surrounding suburbs, MA
kidYOUniversity | Gahmya Drummond-Bey | For Profit | www.kidyouniversity.com | Atlanta, GA
Konekti Apps | Norma Parraz | For Profit | www.KONEKTIapps.com | Phoenix, AZ
Learn Together Live Together | Jenna Tomasello | Nonprofit | https://learnlivetogether.org/ | Washington, D.C.
Learnabi | Niara Valério | For Profit | www.learnabi.com | New York, NY
Liber Institute | Jonathan Santos Silva | Hybrid | Rapid City, SD
Liberate | Julio Rivera | For Profit | liberatemeditation.com | Greenwich, CT
Liberate Academy | Anthony Grant | School | www.liberateacademy.org | New York, NY
Local Impact Inc. | Beverly Leon | For Profit | https://www.localcivics.io | New York, NY
MindCatcher | Nakeyshia Kendall | Nonprofit | mindcatcher.org | San Francisco , CA
MindWorks Collaborative | Martrice Gandy | Nonprofit | www.mindworkscollab.org | Baltimore, MD
Mní Wičhóni Nakíčižiŋ Owáyawa | Kimimila Locke | School | https://www.facebook.com/DefendersoftheWaterSchool/ | Bear Soldier, Standing Rock, SD
MyHealthEd, Inc. | Cristina Leos | Nonprofit | www.myhealthed.org | Chapel Hill, NC
NEX^ Inc. | Brian White | Nonprofit | https://www.nexdc.org/ | Washington, D.C.
Ones Up | Alex Peay | Nonprofit | www.onesup.org | Philadelphia, PA
Our Voice Alliance | Jennie Magiera | Nonprofit | www.ourvoicealliance.org | Chicago, IL
Pharaoh's Conclave | Jakita O. Thomas | Hybrid | http://www.pcxnow.com | Atlanta, GA
Phoenix International School of the Arts (PISOTA) | Angelica Jackson | School | Charles County, MD
PicDiversity, Inc. | Rachel Hanley | Nonprofit | www.picdiversity.org | Chicago, IL
Princess Training | Jessica Laguerre | Nonprofit | www.princesstraining.org | Miami, FL
Purro Inc. | Earl Roach III | For Profit | www.mypurro.com | Ithaca, NY
Sacred Generations | Percilla and Ronnie Frizzell | Nonprofit | www.sacredgenerations.org and www.sacredvote.com | Native California, CA
Safe Time | Christi Carpenter | Nonprofit | https://safetimehost.org/ | Oakland, CA
San Antonio Prep | Stephanie Hall Powell | School | www.saprep.org | San Antonio, TX
School Board School | Elisa Hoffman | Nonprofit | www.schoolboardschool.org | Cincinnati, OH
South LA Robotics (SoLA Robotics) | Jennifer Lashley | Nonprofit | www.southlarobotics.com | Los Angeles, CA
Soy Lector | Luis Vanegas | Nonprofit | https://soylector.org/ | Twin Cities - Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN
STEM in the Park | Danielle Guillen | Nonprofit | Los Angeles, CA
STEM to the Future | Jacob Adams | Nonprofit | stemtothefuture.com | Los Angeles, CA
STREAM Innovations | Adrienne Starks | Nonprofit | https://streaminnovations.org/ | Birmingham, AL
Subspotter | Gerald Liu | For profit | www.subspotter.com | Chicago, IL
Teacher Supporting Teachers | Pallavi Abraham | Nonprofit | www.tstnfp.org | Chicago, IL
Teach X | Tanysha Monique Nunnally | Hybrid | www.goteachx.org | Atlanta, Georgia
The Anchor School | Destiny Shantell Woodbury | School | Houston, TX
The Center for Black Educator Development | Shayna Terrell | Nonprofit | Philadelphia, PA
The Creative School | Marshall Pollard | Hybrid | www.thecreative.school | Washington, D.C.
The Giant Room | Azadeh Jamalian | For Profit | https://www.thegiantroom.com/ | New York, NY
The Leadership School | Kimberly Townsend | Nonprofit | leadership-school.org (temporary) | Normandy, MO
The Marcy Lab School | Reuben Ogbonna | Nonprofit | https://marcylabschool.org | Brooklyn, NY
The Modern Classroom | Kareem Farah | Nonprofit | www.modernclassrooms.org | Washington, D.C.
The Moxie Collective | Yow Feng | School | www.themoxiecollective.org | Denver, CO
The Upward Project | Mindy Wright | Nonprofit | theupwardproject.org | Boston, MA
The Watts of Power Foundation | Didi Lanette Watts | Nonprofit | wattsofpowerfoundation.org | Los Angeles, CA
Thimble.io | Oscar Pedroso | For Profit | https://www.thimble.io | Buffalo, NY
Tilt Access, LLC | Sinthuja Nagalingam | For Profit | https://www.tiltaccess.com/ | Chicago, IL
Typical Dearborn (under For Dearborn umbrella) | Rima Imad Fadlallah | Nonprofit | fordearborn.com | Dearborn, MI
Unbound Stockton Community Schools | Phillip Hon | School | Stockton, CA
UnLabED | Ariana Abramson | For Profit | getunlabed.com | Orange County, NY
UPchieve | Aly Murray | Nonprofit | www.upchieve.org | Brooklyn, NY
UVII | Kimberly Gray | For Profit | www.uviiapp.com | New York, NY
Valeo Prep | Amber Daniel | School | www.valeoprep.org | Houston, TX
WildFlower Schools DC | Maia Blankenship | School | www.wildflowerschools.org/dc | Washington, D.C.
Women Everywhere Believe, Inc. (WEBelieve) | Chelsea Miller | Nonprofit www.womeneverywherebelieve.org | New York, NY
Youth Activism Project | Anika Manzoor | Nonprofit | youthactivismproject.org | Washington, D.C.
YTeach | Lourdes Aviñó | For Profit | www.yteach.com | Miami, FL
SEMI-FINALISTS IN CONSCIOUS TECH
Camelback Ventures began funding EdTech organizations in our first cohort in 2015, and has expanded in recent years to support more sub-types of adventurous, socially conscious technology. We believe that entrepreneurship is the fastest path for societal change, and technology is a tool that can be used to empower that change. Our Conscious Tech track invites candidates to share tech solutions for not just education, but other social impact areas, such as workforce development, policy and advocacy, and social justice. Being responsible, inclusive, and intentional with technology aligns to our mission and vision to create a nation of livable communities where everyone has the opportunity for a quality education and a good life.
Semi-Finalists are listed alphabetically by organization name; candidate name follows organization name. Semi-Finalists in this category may be nonprofits, for-profits, or hybrids:
C.C. Busy | Shimira Williams | For Profit | www.ccbusy.com | Pittsburgh PA
Discriminology | DeMar Pitman | Nonprofit | https://www.discriminology.org | Sarasota, FL
edurain | Bryon Pierson | For Profit | edurain.org | St. Louis, MO
Fit to Navigate | Asegedech Kumnegere | For Profit | www.fittonavigate.com | Dayton, Columbus, OH
GovLia | Shakeia Kegler | For-Profit | www.govlia.com | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Heat Seek | Noelle Francois | Nonprofit | heatseek.org | New York, NY
Hopebound | Christina Guilbeau | Nonprofit | www.hopebound.com | Atlanta , GA
Idea by Design | Cayes Delpeche | For Profit | https://neunet.io | Providence, RI
LitterHero | Ken Burnett | Hybrid | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/litterhero/id1474333212 | San Francisco, CA
Meet Your Makers | Cadeatra Harvey | Forprofit | https://meetyourmakers.us/ | Baltimore, Maryland
MINWO, LLC | Melanie Akwule | For Profit | https://www.minwo.co/ | Oakland, CA
Movers & Shakers NYC | Glenn Cantave | Nonprofit | https://www.moversandshakersnyc.com/ | Brooklyn, NY
Puedo Poder | Cecilia Foxworthy | Hybrid | puedopoder.com | New York, NY
Resilient Wellness | Daisy Ozim | Hybrid | https://www.rwhealthtech.com/ | Oakland, CA
Shtudy | Geno Miller | For Profit | https://try.shtudy.info | Washington, D.C.
Smile With Joy | Jordan Coffey | For Profit | smilewithjoy.net | Oakland, CA
Symba | Ahva Sadeghi | Hybrid | https://symba.io/ | San Francisco , CA
WeSolv | Stella Ashaolu | For Profit | https://www.wesolv.com | Chicago, IL
Wiggle Room Now, Public Benefit Corporation | Jaime-Jin Lewis | For Profit | https://wiggleroomnow.com | Brooklyn, NY
SEMI-FINALISTS IN LOCAL ECONOMIES
After beginning with education and later technology, we knew that our next focus area had to be economic and workforce development. In Fall 2018, we ran our first pilot called the Good Jobs initiative. Our Local Economies track for 2020 will feature all of the lessons and expertise we’ve developed over the past years along with new learnings and projects. Camelback Fellows specializing in Local Economies will have a unique experience by meeting twice a week (after regular business hours - between 5:30 - 8:30pm) for workshops and intensive 1:1 growth strategy consulting. They will have access to in-kind services (such as use of the Camelback Ventures co-working office) and opportunities in the New Orleans entrepreneurial ecosystem, including pitch competitions and conference access.
Semi-Finalists are listed alphabetically by organization name; candidate name follows organization name. Semi-Finalists in this category may be for-profits or hybrids, and all must be based in New Orleans:
Conscious Roots, LLC | Nady Persons & Porscha Williams | For Profit | www.consciousrootsllc.com | New Orleans, LA
Cool Fruit Sensations | Don Harding | For Profit | https://www.coolfruitsensations.com | New Orleans, LA
Designum Technologies | Spencer Davis | For Profit | www.designumtechnologies.com | New Orleans, LA
DollarPot LLC | Myra Barnes | For Profit | www.dollarpot.org | New Orleans, LA
Jun Magnolia | Lawless Turner | For Profit | New Orleans, LA
Make Movements | Cheyenne V Ellis | For Profit | https://www.makemovements.com/ | New Orleans, LA
Meusu LLC | Greg Harris | For Profit | www.meusu.com | New Orleans, LA
Näima Férbos Bridal Couture | Naima Omi Ferbos | For Profit | www.naimaferbosbridalcouture.com | New Orleans, LA