The Washington DC Founder Institute, the local chapter of the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, is proud to announce the newest Alumni from the Washington DC Virtual 2022 program.
Over 135+ entrepreneurs applied to join the program, and after an intense four months of aggressive business-building sprints and constant evaluation and feedback from investors and mentors, just six companies were able to make it through.
Each of these Founders have demonstrated a high level of perseverance and creativity, and their businesses have been thoroughly vetted and supported by a panel of Washington DC's top startup experts and investors.
The newest Founder Institute DC Alumni invite members of the local startup ecosystem and public to join them live on Monday, July 18th for a special online Graduation event, where you can hear an inspiring talk by Shwappe CEO Hannah Kim, plus a few "debut" presentations from new Alumni.
And now, we proudly present the newest Alumni of the FI Washington DC program:
The Washington DC Virtual 2022 program would not have been possible without help, because it truly takes a city to raise a startup. We would first like to thank the Local Leaders of the Washington DC Founder Institute: Brian Bassett and Guc Ozenci. Our Local Leaders play an incredibly important role in building the local Founder Institute program, and creating an environment and network in Washington DC that is conducive to building to great companies.
In addition, the Washington DC Virtual 2022 program was supported by some of Washington DC's top technology organizations, including:
Some of the greater Washington DC area’s top startup mentors helped our founders in the program, including:
- Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
- Abid Masood: Founder, Buddio
- Alan Wilson: Cofounder, Tripwire Interactice
- Alan Ocana: Founder & CEO, Consolhub and BBC CARGO
- Alex Koshykov: CEO, YODD Medical
- Allan Wilson: Founder & Managing Director, Flat Rock Solutions
- Allyson Redpath: Board Member, Westchester Land Trust
- Amelia Friedman: Co-founder, Hatch
- Andres Jordan: Founder, Factor6, LLC
- Angela Long: Managing Director & Brand Strategist, Brand Wagon Digital
- Angela Olanike Akinbohun: Founder, Inventor, Pandora 21 Consultants
- Anne Rosenblum: Business Investment and Capital Attraction Manager, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
- Anuj Agrawal: Chief Marketing Officer, Earth Networks
- Arcui Usoara: Founder/CEO, Iaculus
- Ario Keshani: Investor and Advisor, AWS
- Ashtan Moore: Co-Founder, Model B
- Aydin Bolkar: VP of International Operations, Alarm.com
- Ben Stacey: CEO, Pitchverk
- Benjamin Young: CEO, Sworkit
- Beulah Toth: Strategist, Obvious
- Bill Stokes: Founder & Chairman, Washington Network Group (WNG)
- Bo Wang: Vice President, Juggernaut Capital Partners
- Brant Cooper: Author | CEO | Founder, Moves the Needle
- Brent Halliburton: Product Management, Amazon
- Brian Bassett: Director, Simple Thread
- Brian Childress: Architect, Technical Advisor, Calendly
- Bryan Duarte: Managing Partner, BlackTech Capital
- Cameron Powell: CEO + Partner, High Performance Story + Gregor Wynne Arney PLLC
- Carlos De Paula: Founder & Managing Director, Acadia Partners
- C. Derek Campbell: CEO, Blue Holding Oceans
- Chintan Oza: Founder, Anantam Ecosystems
- Chris Haug: Founder and CEO, 360° Venture Management Group
- Christie Thompson: Partner, Campfire & Co.
- Christopher Wink: Publisher and CEO , Technically Media
- Christopher Rogers: Partner, Lumia Capital
- C'pher Gresham: Founder, Front Row
- Cq Huynh: Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs
- Craig Snodgrass: Venture Partner, Valor Ventures
- Cynthia Gilmer
- Dan Hnatkovskyy: CEO and Co-Founder, Propertymate
- Dan Myers: Co-Founder & Partner, 42Phi Ventures
- Daniel Kroepfl: Vice President, TELE Controls Inc.
- Daniel Shires: Consultant, Independent
- Danielle Tate: Founder & CEO, MissNowMrs.com & Elegant Entrepreneur
- Dave Mc Carthy: Executive Director, Potential Energy DC
- Dave Hall: CEO, DLH Technology Advisors
- Dave Feldman: Executive Director, Bethesda Green
- David Giannini: Chairman and CEO, Cirrusworks, Inc.
- David Roberts: CEO, Anovium
- Debra Cancro: SVP Data Products, Bigtincan
- Derren Burrell: Venture Capitalist, Veteran Ventures
- Don Samoil: Managing Partner, Trusted Scale
- Ed Harrell: Managing Partner, Harrell Capital Partners LLC
- Ed English: Chief Product Officer, Higher Logic
- Eddie Hill: Director, Mason Enterprise Center
- Elizabeth B-Amissah
- Ellen Meinhart: Senior International Trade Manager, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
- Ellis Rosenberg: Vice President, Sales, WellDoc, Inc
- Emily McMahan: Partner, Academy Investor Network
- Eric Koefoot: Founder & CEO, PublicRelay, Inc.
- Erna Redzepagic: Social Impact Accelerator, Halcyon
- Esmael Dinan: Founder & CEO, Offino
- Everett Carpenter: President, Evertechnologies
- Eylem Senyuz: Director, Truist Wealth
- Frances Reimers: Principal , Firestarter
- Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Cofounder , Vitamin C&S Coaching
- Fred Cohen: Founder and CEO, Angel to Exit
- Frederic Gumbinner: Managing Partner , G2 Development Partners
- Gabriela Oporto: Founder, Selia
- Geneviève Nixon-Weems: Founder and CEO, Geneviève Global
- Gira Wieczorek: Managing Partner / Co-Founder, Aleberry
- Guc Ozenci: Tech-Entrepreneur | Mentor | Director | Investor, Founder Institute
- Guillermo Ortiz de Zarate: President, Lineup
- Gül Branco: People and Culture Transformation Leader, Branco Development Group
- Hanae Bezad: CEO | Author, Beehane Advisory
- Hank Yuan: Venture Partner, VU Ventures | , Venture Associate, Republic
- Hannah Kim: Shwappe, Founder & CEO
- Hatice Murphy: Director, Infuze International
- Henry Hunter: ceo, Incidr
- Hooman Kazerani: Sr VP, ICF
- Howard Eisenberg: Founder , EuroSort
- Isabel Pablo: Founder, GK Innovations Lab
- Iskender Uguz: Head of Small Business Lending and Decision Sciences, Capital One
- Jamil Ramsey: Founder and CEO, Snap Contacts
- Jamil Wyne: Co-Founder, Riffle Ventures
- Jeb Ory: Startup Advisory (exited founder), N/A
- Joe Daniels: Partner, Co-Chair - Emerging Companies, Partner & Co-Chair, Emerging Companies Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
- Johan Holmberg: Senior Associate, Second Century Ventures
- John Holaday: Chairman and CEO, DisposeRx Inc.
- Jomy Methipara: Business and intellectual property (IP) Attorney, Dickinson Wright
- Jonathan Greechan: Co-Founder & CEO, Founder Institute
- Jonathan Chashper: CEO, Product Savvy Consulting
- Josh Rosenthal: Founder & CEO, CloudSploit
- Joshua Frankel: VP of Marketing, LogicBoost Labs
- June W Choi: Managing Partner, Serval Ventures
- Justin Etheredge: Partner, Simple Thread
- Kaitlin Capobianco: Senior Manager, Fellow Community and Recruitment , Halcyon
- Kathie Brady: CEO Group Chair, Vistage
- Keith Segerson: CEO, P3 Innovation Strategies
- Ken Gordon: Co-founder and CEO, VALR
- Kevin Fulmer: Director, Alex Brown Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Kevin Franck: CCO, Otolith Labs
- Kiki Ramsey: Founder, Kiki Ramsey International
- Kuzeyhan Ozdemir: Lean Startup Mentor, Founder Institute
- Kyle Brown: Founder - CEO
- Laura Clark: VP, Brand Development , MeatMe Pet Food
- Laura Shibut: Program Manager, Lighthouse Labs RVA
- Leena Palav: Board Member, Strategy Advisor, COO, -med devices, health tech, consumer products, robotics
- Leonardo Garcia: Senior IoT & 5G Solutions Consultant, AT&T
- Lisa Friedlander: Founder Board Member, Citrine Angels
- Lisa Garcia: Business Commercialization Consultant and Coach, Lisa K. Garcia, LLC
- Liz Sara: Managing Director, Best Marketing, LLC
- Liz Ward: Head, Zebox America
- Liza Rodewald: Co-founder, Instant Teams
- Loni Faraci: Director of Product , Co-Star
- Mali Phonpadith: CEO/Founder, SOAR Community Network
- Marc Trost: Founder, M&T CPA PLLC
- Marco Rubin: Senior Investment Director, VIPC
- Marcos Filho: Full-time MBA student, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
- Mark Kass: Senior Counsel , Crowell & Moring LLP
- Mark Phinick: Founder, Let's Make It Rain
- Mashea Ashton: Founder and CEO , Digital Pioneers Academy
- Matt Mandell: Principal, PayNerd.com
- Matt Hanson: Co-Founder, PAX Momentum
- Maura O'brien Ali: CEO and Managing Director, American Growth Solutions
- Max Kryzhanovskiy: President, MOS Creative
- Melissa Akkaway: Partner, The Particulars
- Michael Riemer: Advisor, ABJJ Consulting
- Michael O'brien: Managing Partner, Siol Venture Capital
- Michelle Pham: Counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP
- Mirza Baig: Partner, Aldrich Capital Partners
- Mitch Praver: President & Co-Founder, The Fifth Beatle Skills Network, LLC
- Murat Karabulut: Senior Solutions Architect
- Nadine Zerrini: Director, Founder Institute Boston
- Naresh Verma: Analyst - Mentor - Coach - Product Design, Data Visualization, Yoova
- Natcha Thawesaengskulthai: Global Chief Innovation Officer, Chulalongkorn University
- Navroop Mitter: CEO, ArmorText
- Neil Kleinberg, DiliVer
- Neil Shah: Founder & CEO, ThinkNimble
- Nick Rajpara: Economic Development Specialist, SBA
- Nicola Corzine: Executive Director , Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
- Nimish Jalan: COO, Big Red Group
- Nitin Pradhan: Founder and CEO , ScaleUP
- Noah Wallach: Founder, Hope OS
- Olivier Meganck: Founder & CEO, TheList.wtf
- Onur Kutlu Gago: Founder & Growth Coach, Tale
- Patrick Bryant: CEO, CODE/+/TRUST
- Patty Simonton: Ecosystem Builder. Certified Entrepreneurship Development Professional., Independent Contractor
- Paul Singh: Chief Hustler, Results Junkies
- Pawan Kohli: AI in Healthcare | Health Tech Strategist | Ex-Unicorn Startup | CTO/CIO/CISO | Startup advisor | Speaker | Mentor, Binary Blue
- Peter Ettinger: Partner, The 7914 Group
- Pierre Gomez: Program Manager, Systems and Technology Research (STR)
- Rajesh Rai: Partner, Montane Ventures
- Rajiv Madhok: Founder, Oorja
- Ram Boreda: VP, Egnyte
- Randy Reade: Co-founder, Washington ArchAngels
- Richard Rothstein: CEO, Rothstein Consulting
- Rohan Mayhem: Co-Founder, RoadPitch
- Rokas Beresniovas: Head of Growth, Commercial and Small Business Leading, NIH Federal Credit Union
- Roman Rodriguez: CEO, The Coaching Market
- Ronit Avni: Founder , Just Vision
- Rosemarie Truman: Founder and CEO, Ignite Social Impact
- Sam Feigi: Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP
- Sameer Sortur: Founding Partner, SquareCircle Ventures
- Sammy Popat: Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Catalyst, University of Maryland
- Sandeep Aneja: Founder & Managing Partner, Kaizenvest
- Sandy Vasan: Founder , outcomes.work
- Sanjay Prasad: Founder/ CEO, SurgiPrice/ SurgiConnect
- Sarah Bassett: Research Director , US. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services (minority-side staff)
- Sean Makulowich: Founder & CEO, IdeaFire™
- Seema Alexander: CEO, Disruptive CEO Advisory
- Seth Banks
- Sever Totia: Partner, 3TS Capital Partners
- Shahed Amanullah: Managing Director, Frost Capital
- Shani Peled: Founder & Managing Partner, TechnoArt
- Simon Okeke: CEO, Jet Star Logistics
- Şirin Köprücü: Principal, Strategic Straits
- Smriti Bagry: Senior Product Manager, ByteDance (TikTok)
- Solomon Asad: Principal, SSCP
- Spencer Hansen: Director of User Experience & Design, Simple Thread
- Sriram Gollapalli: Managing Director, Long Angle
- Stanley Mc Chrystal: Founder , McChrystal Group
- Stephen Lehman: Chairman and CEO , CoFounders Lab
- Stephen DiLorenzo: Partner, Carter, DeLuca & Farrell LLP
- Steve Ryan: Counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP
- Steven A. Rodriguez: Venture Catalyst, STVNRCO
- Sumit Saraf: Managing Partner, IHQ Ventures LLC
- The Bob Kolodney, HBS Alumni Angels
- Tien Wong: Founder and CEO, Lore
- Tim Young: Founder, Young Marketing Consulting
- Tolga Vural: Partner, Aegean Associates
- Tom Smith: Co-founder, Truss
- Tony Amer: Managing Partner, TRANSFORMity
- Tovit Neizer: Chief Storyteller, Yellow Bricks
- Tyrone Taylor: President, Capitol Advisors on Technology, Former NASA Director
- Ufuk Demirci: Global Head, Venture Funds, IFC
- Vikram Dhawan: Founder & CEO, KnoetiK Solutions Inc.,
- Vladimir Pletyukhin: Founder and Creative Director, Launch Deck
- Wa'il Ashshowwaf: Co-Founder & CEO, Unstuck Labs
- Wayne Lifshitz: Sr Director, Chemonics
- Yemi Oluseun: Growth & GTM For FinTechs, The Change Hive
- Yi Wang: CEO and Founder, Macaw Medical Technology
- YouMon Tsang: Founder and CEO, ChurnZero
- Yvonne Quahe: Trainer, Facilitator, Coach and Author, WBFN
- Zac Blanco: Senior Manager, Keiter
In the Founder Institute's pre-seed accelerator program, early-stage entrepreneurs and teams build their business alongside a critical support network of local startup experts that share equity in their success, and through a structured and challenging business-building process that has helped alumni raise over $1.85BN.
After Graduation, the new Washington DC Founder Institute Portfolio Companies now have a fast-growing company that has been fully validated by experienced startup founders, with access to the Founder Institute's global network and post-graduate support programs to continue building their business.
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to raise funding, building a co-founding team, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities and 100+ countries, the Founder Institute’s mission is to Globalize Silicon Valley and empower talented and motivated entrepreneurs to build companies that will create one million new jobs.
The next Washington DC Fall 2022 Founder Institute accelerator has just opened up its program applications for pre-seed stage foudners - to learn more or apply, visit FI.co/washington_dc.
Alumni of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over $1.85BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/graduates.