The 2022 Roux Institute Founder Residency July Cohort
The Roux Institute is pleased to announce the July cohort of startups selected for the 2022 Founder Residency. In this cohort, the program is supporting first-time founders and founders from underrepresented groups with high-growth ideas that have the potential to fundamentally alter the way we live and work.
All founders in this cohort identify as BIPOC or female, and they hail from four states across the U.S., as close as Maine and as far away as Georgia. Companies are developing solutions in the areas of food tech, fintech, health tech, e-commerce, and literacy tech.
Each founding team will receive a $25,000 grant to help build their ventures from scratch, intended to lower the barrier of entry for would-be entrepreneurs with a high-growth concept, who might not have the financial means to support themselves while they develop their product or technology.
We are excited to welcome 5 more companies to the rapidly growing portfolio of the Roux Institute Venture Creation and Acceleration Programs. This cohort is the first that will have significant overlap with additional programs we’re running, including our January start of this residency program and 10 more companies coming in September as part of the Roux Institute Techstars Accelerator. Have 20 companies concurrently in programs creates a new type of energy in the greater Portland area. We’re excited to see the momentum continue at these 5 companies help shape the future of the Maine startup ecosystem.”
Chris Wolfel
Associate Vice President and Head of Entrepreneurship & Venture Creation
About the Roux Institute Founder Residency
The Founder Residency is a yearlong, on-campus program that supports underrepresented founders (BIPOC/female/veteran/rural) at the earliest stages of their entrepreneurial journey. The residency co-locates founders at our Portland campus and gives them a living stipend, access to curated programming, mentorship, joint research opportunities, a network of expert advisors, and a peer community to accelerate their growth. We provide the runway and support to get a venture from point A to point B 5x faster than one would be able to get there themselves.
Meet the Founders and Companies
-
Sangeeth Pradeep Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of JotLogs
JotLogs is a cloud-based platform that helps surgeons take notes and keep track of surgical cases, and makes that information more accessible for medical research and publications.
-
Evelyn Hartz, Co-Founder and CEO of Meru
Meru is a creator–economy startup that makes it easier for people to buy from people they trust and from brands that fit their values. Our software brings storefronts to where the audience is, which leads to a better buying experience for consumers, better conversion for brands, and more commission for creators.
-
Tamika Francis, Co-Founder and CEO of DutchPot
DutchPot is a digital platform for culinary collaboration. We curate a trusted but dynamic map of collaborative business opportunities. The platform enables culinary creatives to connect, expand their teams, and work together on projects.
-
Michael Gizachew, Founder and CEO of EthioPay
EthioPay is a U.S. app–based platform that makes it easier for people to send cash instantly to mobile money accounts and offers stock and ETF trading.
-
Michelle DeBlois, Co-Founder and CEO of ReMo
ReMo is a web-based application created for students and literacy educators in grades 4-12 to inspire independent reading and create lifelong, engaged readers. ReMo provides the space for students to access their own reading data and have ownership of their reading identities while at home or at school. ReMo also gives educators the tools to build strong relationships and motivate students to love reading.