Lunar Startups Announces 15 New Companies Joining Cohort 5
From Top, L-R: Mahogany Ellis-Crutchfield, Firaoli Adam, Yasmin Samatar, Kat Duvic, Jennifer Trebisovsky, Joan Dao, Rahul Bhojwani, Maggie Davis, Agata Norris, Joy McBrien, Sabrina D. Jones, Nora Guerrera, Tasha Harris, Katie Shahan, Eboni Bell, Tatiana Freeman.
St. Paul, MN – Lunar Startups is proud to announce the companies selected to participate in Cohort 5, the latest group of high-growth, early-stage startups to join Lunar's Accelerator program.
Beginning April 19, fifteen companies will join a community dedicated to their success, including one-on-one coaching, resources, pro-bono legal services, a vast expert network, and more.
Angel Even, Lunar’s Entrepreneur in Residence and founder/CEO of Led by TRUTH, will be leading the Lunar Accelerator experience for Cohort 5.
"From creating a more equitable food system to reducing burnout for digital workers, Cohort 5 companies are chasing big dreams and building bold visions for the future," said Angel. “These companies are the solutions we need to solve today’s most pressing problems and they represent the very best of Minnesota’s startup ecosystem. ”
Lunar Startups welcomes the following companies to Cohort 5:
Activity Central keeps families in the loop, on time, and prepared with AI and automated calendar management that consolidates details, notifications and communication.
Big Flower produces reliable, high-quality, and useful CBD products.
Dream Girl Box fosters social-emotional learning and entrepreneurship for Girls with Goals with a quarterly subscription box of motivational products.
Fair Anita is a social enterprise creating economic self-sufficiency for women by selling fair trade jewelry and accessories made from recycled materials.
GiftyWrap creates wrapping paper and stationery products that not only bring joy but reflects the diverse community that we all live in.
Hayaa supports healthcare workers and patients with modest clothing.
Ilesolvi designs a fashionable solution to security needs with anti-theft purses.
Kobi Co. promotes self-care with its candle and wellness brand.
Snapcident is transforming shopping online by allowing users to use a photo, rather than typing in keywords.
Namakan Goods bridges the gap between style and comfort winter apparel, specializing in universal ruff or trim for your hood or collar that attaches to any coat with a patented magnetic design.
NoshPosh contributes to a more equitable and inclusive food system through snack subscription boxes, fresh food vending machines, and brick-and-mortar storefronts that prioritize products from women- and BIPOC-owned businesses.
SJC Body Love cleans up your self-care routine with multi-tasking skincare with minimal ingredients.
Social Mixers creates botanical-forward and all-natural syrups and drinking vinegars, so everyone can have the craft drink experience at home.
Turia.ai reduces stress, distraction, and burnout for the digital workforce through a mindful productivity app.
Yarlow builds confidence in home ownership with maintenance reminders, appliance tracking, document storage, and more.
Cohort 5 companies were selected from a competitive applicant pool of 90 startups led by a powerful group of emerging leaders. The addition of this cohort brings Lunar’s total portfolio to 60 companies. To date, Lunar alumni companies have created $294 million in economic impact for the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, including 133 new jobs.
“We know that inclusive entrepreneurship is proven to build generational wealth, mitigate race- and gender-based economic gaps, and increase the number of high-quality jobs in our region,” said Danielle Steer, Founding Executive Director of Lunar Startups. “The founders in Cohort 5 are the latest stars to join Lunar’s orbit of powerful leaders, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
As a nonprofit dedicated to unlocking economic empowerment for all, contributions to Lunar power the Accelerator program and speed up the rate of transformation for Cohort 5 companies and their communitites. Join us by making a donation today.
Lunar Startups Cohort 5 programming runs from April 2022 through September 2022.
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About Lunar Startups
Lunar Startups is building an unshakeable system of support for founders in the Minneapolis-St. Paul who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ, women, and non-binary. The Lunar Accelerator is a six-month program supporting early-stage, high-growth companies ranging from consumer packaged goods to tech-enabled solutions. For more, visit lunarstartups.org.
Media contact: Danielle Steer, dsteer@lunarstartups.org