gener8tor Partners With Downtown Launchpad to Launch Local Accelerator for Startups
gener8tor gBETA Houston Accelerator welcomes sixth cohort
HOUSTON, Texas - Global venture firm and startup accelerator, gener8tor, in partnership with Downtown Launchpad, kicked off the sixth gBETA Houston cohort in September. The gBETA accelerator focuses on early-stage companies working in Houston.
gener8tor gBETA is a free seven-week, no-equity accelerator program that provides startup founders with intensive concierge coaching and access to its national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. The programs are designed to set a path for startups to participate in equity-based accelerator programs and investment opportunities.
gener8tor recruited startups locally for the gBETA program in an effort to support homegrown companies in Houston. The participating companies in the gBETA Houston Fall 2022 program are CultureLancer, EYF, Oodles, SafetyKay LLC, and Stobridge Education Inc. Learn more about the selected startups below. See details about the selected companies at the end of this release.
“This gener8tor Houston cohort is among our strongest yet,” said Robert Pieroni, director of Economic Development at Central Houston Inc. “We are excited about the caliber of entrepreneurs the Downtown Launchpad is attracting and the entrepreneurial ecosystem being created.”
Together, gener8tor and Downtown Launchpad aim to bring economic diversity and job growth to Houston. gBETA Houston is also generously supported by The City of Houston and Central Houston
“I’m thrilled about this cohort,” said Muriel Foster, gBETA Houston Director. “We’ve seen the incredible economic impact of the gBETA program in other parts of the country, and we’re excited to bring that same impact to Houston.”
At the end of the gBETA program, startup founders will pitch their companies to investors, community partners, and the public at a showcase event at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 17 at Amegy Bank Courtyard.
Startup companies and founders interested in learning more about gBETA’s programming and resources or applying to a future program are encouraged to visit the gener8tor gBETA website.
gBETA Houston Fall 2022 Cohort
CultureLancer's all-in-one career-focused platform connects students at HBCUs with opportunities to gain industry-specific education and experience. CultureLancer also provides companies with the ability to source qualified diverse talent to meet their needs. CultureLancer has onboarded 30 students with each completing certification in digital marketing, closing on 2 contracts, and currently onboarding companies for beta testing. Founder and COO: Brianna Brazle | brianna@culturelancer.com | culturelancer.com
EYF gamifies financial literacy education and provides children with a fun alternative to educational programming. EYF aims to teach financial literacy and economics in a fun, interactive, and applicable way. EYF is set to go to market at the end of Q4 2022. Founder and CEO: Grant Watkins | grant@eyf.money | |https://www.eyf.money/
Oodles automates the sales process and 24/7 customer service for e-commerce retailers through a conversational AI chatbot. Leveraging AI and machine learning, Oodles chatbot results in significant cost savings for retailers and improves customer retention and loyalty. Oodles has currently raised a seed round of $280K, launched the product, and onboarded 10 customers. Founder and CEO: Zul Morin | zulmomin@oodlesrewards.com | oodlesrewards.com
SafetyKay LLC promotes safety awareness to young children. SafetyKay focuses on decreasing fatality and accident rates among children ages 5-12 years by teaching them critical health and safety skills. SafetyKay's current safety awareness material has been viewed 81,359 times and it is currently in the process of transitioning into a mobile app platform.
Founder and CEO: Krystle Hodge | khodge@safetykay.com | safetykay.com
Stobridge Education Inc. connects students with mentors and postsecondary education college, career and life resources for better outcomes. Through its comprehensive and fully integrated web and mobile platform, Stobridge Education is a safer alternative to LinkedIn for high school students. Stobridge Education has engaged with 1000+ participants through their nonprofit partner, Adeiur and has implemented its module curriculum in two universities and four student-serving organizations. Founder and CEO: Tiwalade Adebisi Adele | Hello@Stobridge.com | http://stobridge.com
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About gener8tor
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, founders, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate programs in more than 41 communities across 22 states and two countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022.
About gBETA
gBETA is a non-equity accelerator that facilitates the growth of early-stage companies through a network-driven program. This accelerator supports five startups per cohort and requires no fees for startups and takes no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA accelerator alumni have raised $487M+ in capital and created 3,355+ jobs across the U.S. and Canada.
About Downtown Launchpad
Located in Amegy on Main, the 17,000 square foot Downtown Launchpad is anchored by nationally recognized startup accelerators MassChallenge, gener8tor, and globally recognized incubator Impact Hub and will also be a place for idea incubation, entrepreneur boot camps, community events, workforce development, innovation labs, creatives, coworking, and corporate innovation. This enables startups and entrepreneurs to move seamlessly through the stages of startup production, all in one space.
