Meet the Startup Entrepreneurs in the 2025 WBENC Collegiate Accelerator Cohort!

Shelby Moore

12:03 Naturally LLC is a business focused on providing extraordinary loctician and event planning services. We are working towards being the first loc lounge in the central Virginia area. At 12:03 Naturally we strive to provide a holistic experience for lounge, luxury, and community!

Kylah Braxter

Accessories From Ky is an online accessories boutique that sells everyday accessories. We are known for having an accessory for almost every occasion. Our mission is to provide luxury to our customers with something as simple as an accessory. We plan to focus greatly on feedback and logistics to better our brand, and our customer’s individual experience.

Taylor Tucker

B.A.E. Spa is a premier destination for beauty, wellness, and medical aesthetics. Committed to offering top-tier services, we are currently undergoing an exciting transformation to expand our offerings and enhance our client experience. With a focus on advanced medical treatments, our team is dedicated to providing personalized care and results-driven solutions. As we revamp our spa, we are proud to bring innovative procedures and expertise to the forefront of the wellness industry, creating a comprehensive med spa that caters to both beauty and medical needs.

Tanvi Gadamsetti

BRCĒ is a material-tech startup, developing an ecosystem of athletic performance gear & safety accessories to support athletes in performance and recovery & industrial use-cases, built with our patented composites, which are stronger than steel, fire-resistant, & remarkedly lightweight, & data-backed designs providing performance advantage. BRCĒ is revolutionizing sports performance gear through proprietary material innovation & advanced product designs, which guarantee performance & safety advantage for athletes and industrial professionals. All products are designed & tested in collaboration with materials scientists & PhD’s in kinesiology in Michigan, ensuring scientifically validated protection and performance optimization. BRCĒ’s patented technology has a lot more use cases from engineered fastenings to hybrid fabrics. From strategic alliances with major sports league teams, industrial manufacturing giants and footwear industry leaders, BRCĒ is on the mission to transform accessories into gear essentials.

Carlynn Andrews

Carlynn The Artist is a creative enterprise founded by Carlynn Andrews, a self-taught artist and Florida A&M University graduate, dedicated to producing meaningful artwork that promotes self-love, wellness, and positive representation. The brand offers purpose-driven art collections on functional products such as notebooks, canvases, and backpacks, with future plans to expand into children’s books, corporate partnerships, and scholarships for minorities. Through the online platform carlynntheartist.com, Carlynn The Artist strives to make art accessible while addressing societal challenges like self-discovery and mental health, particularly for Black women and minority youth.

Cameron Blount

We are Céleste Studios — a creative production studio and emerging fashion brand committed to redefining luxury for the global consumer. Too often, luxury is confined to a materialistic, Eurocentric lens. We’re here to disrupt that narrative, proving that luxury is more than just an aesthetic—it’s a cultural experience, a way of life, and, most importantly, accessible to all.

Sydney Henry

A lot of nail techs are trying to design standout nail art, but they don’t know how to hand-paint detailed designs and the ones that do, can spend upwards of an hour on one nail. COCOA designs ready-made art on water nail wraps and stickers that looks hand painted, can be applied in 3 to 6 minutes, and is easy to customize.

Lia Moore

Coolavo delivers innovative, patent-pending cooling products tailored for traveler-focused B2B markets, including hotels, resorts, gift shops, and promotional gifting distributors. Designed to elevate the end-customer experience, our products offer a unique value-add for distributors seeking to provide impactful, experience-driven solutions to their clients. With the global travel retail market valued at $72.21 billion, Coolavo is strategically positioned to capture significant market share through a focused B2B approach and established distributor networks with ready-to-buy clientele. As the summer season gains momentum, Coolavo is experiencing strong traction and is poised to become a key player in enhancing customer offerings across the travel and hospitality sectors.

Madeline Rodriguez

Craft-A-Lotta is an innovative online marketplace that bridges the gap between buyers and sellers in the craft industry. The platform offers a curated selection of high-quality secondhand craft supplies at unbeatable prices, empowering craft enthusiasts to create and explore affordably and sustainably. Sellers benefit from a streamlined process to monetize unused treasures, while unique features like the Craft Show Index connect users to local craft and artisan events. By fostering a vibrant ecosystem, Craft-A-Lotta is dedicated to promoting creativity, sustainability, and community engagement across the crafting world.

Haja Fofanah

Doxa Bakery is a faith-driven bakery founded on a love for Jesus and a passion for bringing joy through delicious, homemade treats. At Doxa Bakery, we specialize in custom orders including cakes, cupcakes, banana pudding, brownies, and cookies—all made with love and care. Our mission is to spread joy, one sweet bite at a time, by delivering high-quality desserts that make every occasion special. At Doxa Bakery, we believe that good food and faith go hand in hand, and we’re honored to share both with our community.

I’Ceyonna Ware

East Texas Dreamers is committed to supporting young adults in East Texas as they transition into college, the workforce, or other professional paths. We understand that many face challenges after high school, often lacking the resources and guidance needed to navigate their next steps. Our mission is to provide mentorship, tools, and a strong community to empower them in their academic and career journeys. By fostering connections and access to opportunities, we strive to ensure that every young adult, regardless of their path, has the support they need to succeed.

Cori Brown

Est. Fourteen Forty-one, LLC. has been Planning, Publishing, and Promoting for several years and across various industries. As a strategic consulting firm dedicated to helping clients, our collective expertise bridges the gap between clients and industry partners to make the most of community partnerships and collaboration. From author book publications to event planning and digital business solutions, we integrate purpose and precision into every step of the process.

Kennedy Austin

Forefront is a venture capital firm with a singular mission: to invest in and elevate women of color owned beauty brands. An idea created after completing a thesis paper around how Black women have the largest economic contribution in the beauty industry, but aren’t represented at the same rate as owners and leaders in these spaces.

Gabrielle Hall

We are an e-commerce retail store that utilizes various art mediums, fashion, and self-care to promote mental wellness, confidence, and empowerment within underserved communities. Recognizing universal issues on mental health, our objective is to illustrate diverse approaches to utilizing art therapy, fostering increased awareness through community workshops, networking events, and creative showcases Grain of Arcane isn’t just a brand; it’s a movement—a movement toward self-expression, healing, and empowerment. Each piece we create is infused with love, intention, and the belief that art has the power to transform lives.

Kanna Uchida

GreenGrip is on a mission to revolutionize the floral industry by eliminating toxic, microplastic-filled floral foam and replacing it with a biodegradable, non-toxic alternative. Traditional foam poses serious health risks and contributes to plastic pollution in waterways and soil, harming both people and the planet. GreenGrip’s solution is designed to provide florists with the same functionality while prioritizing safety and sustainability. Through ongoing research, prototyping, and collaboration with industry experts, the company is creating a high-performance product that supports florists’ health,floral artistry, and environmental responsibility.

Jaina Dotson

Jania’sArtistry creates meaningful artworks that tell compelling stories, catering to individuals who appreciate diverse artistic voices and value art that resonates with their aesthetics and philanthropic spirit. The company offers limited-edition prints and original pieces across various unique collections. Currently, Jaina’sArtistry features three collections: The Still Life Collection, The African Pride Collection, and The Self-Portrait Collection, with plans for continuous expansion. More than just an art brand, Jaina’sArtistry is driven by a mission to amplify underrepresented voices in the art world—particularly African-American women. Through her work, Jaina seeks to challenge the toxic barriers Black women face, affirming that they belong, their voices matter, and their stories deserve to be seen and celebrated.

Hakalah Witherspoon

Kalah Kosmetics is a compassionate and budget-friendly beauty company, rooted in the belief that true beauty begins from within. We craft our products with natural ingredients and a commitment to cruelty-free practices, to ensure that we are promoting sustainability for the environment and offering our customers some of the best ingredients. We specialize in lip products that nourishes and moisturizes the lips leaving them looking healthy and radiant.

Lucy Zimmer

Beginning in 2024, Lucy Sue’s is a small student-led business selling paintings and drawings. As the sole owner and employee, my business displays my passion for the fine arts through my hand-crafted pieces. I’m hoping to expand my business by writing and illustrating a line of children’s books. My goal for Lucy Sue’s is to enlarge the scale of my business to showcase my passion through fine art to provide people with visually and emotionally pleasing pieces.

Vienna Sparks

During our first semester of college, we tragically lost a close friend to laced drugs. She had no way of knowing, and it cost her life. In response, MabLab has developed the first rapid test capable of detecting the five deadliest lacing agents in drugs and drinks. Simply mix a small sample of the substance and in under three minutes, get a rapid and accurate result.

Candace Christian Moore

Manifest Academy, a social-emotional art program for adolescents, is on a mission to redefine education by integrating social-emotional learning with creative arts. We empower youth ages 12 to 15 to become socially inspired and emotionally empowered through creative expression and self-discovery. Manifest Academy offers a curriculum-based program that blends traditional African American creative expression—dance, acting, and storytelling—with emotional intelligence training to foster resilience, empathy, and leadership in adolescents. We plan to launch as an after-school program and summer intensive while partnering with local schools and community centers.

DeMecca Prude

Mecca Cosmetix was born out of frustration and a mission—to create beauty products that celebrate and uplift those who have long been underrepresented in the beauty industry. Founded in 2019 by DeMecca Prude, the brand started as a dorm-room experiment, whipping up lip glosses that quickly became a campus sensation. As word spread and the brand’s bold shades took over Instagram feeds, Mecca Cosmetix gained traction, especially during the pandemic, when beauty lovers spent endless hours scrolling. Since then, the brand has generated over $25,000 in revenue, shipped more than 1,300 orders, and built a thriving community of 2,000+ customers and 13,000 loyal followers. Now, the brand is focused on scaling and evolving into a fully trademarkable business.

Angel Chuang

MindMunch is an edtech and productivity venture founded by two college students who noticed an increasingly widespread screen time addiction issue affecting student productivity. As a mobile app and browser extension, MindMunch works by introducing an educational friction point that interrupts uncontrolled scrolling where users unlock additional screen time by correctly answering quiz questions. Users are able to create their own in-app quiz questions, purchase pre-made study sets for standardized exams like the SAT, ACT, and MCAT, or connect their existing accounts on learning platforms like Duolingo, Quizlet, and Chegg, turning their existing study materials into quiz content. With a strong background in education and productivity-focused startups, the founders have successfully raised over $30,000 through pitch competitions and bootstrapping in just 5 months. MindMunch aims to redefine digital wellness for students by leveraging technology to enhance focus and productivity.

Adi Shapira

Consider Orenda your new “in-house” marketing duo. Karli and Adi met building an ice cream brand, where – as the entire marketing team – they realized their power of collaboration. With a joint passion for making a difference in the world, vastly different and complementary skill sets, and a deep understanding of what startups and founders actually need to grow, Orenda was born. Orenda specializes in handling mission-driven startups’ essential marketing, leveraging creative and strategy to build and execute scrappy and unique campaigns, launches, and day-to-day marketing.

Alisha Harris

Original Account Strategies (OAS) is a Denver-based branding and digital strategy agency that helps organizations transform complex ideas into clear, impactful narratives. Specializing in strategic branding, UX-focused web design, and digital storytelling, OAS supports clients across industries, including construction, healthcare, and the public sector. Since 2020, the agency has partnered with nonprofits and businesses to enhance their online presence and communication strategies, leading to increased engagement and contract wins. OAS was recognized as a finalist for Startup Business of the Year, highlighting its commitment to innovative and accessible design solutions.

Brittney Rochelle Brown

Positive Alternatives & Outcomes is a community-focused organization dedicated to empowering youth and families by recognizing their strengths and addressing their unique needs. Our mission is to deliver high-quality services that enhance the well-being of youth and families through positive, service-based alternatives. We tailor our support to each family, helping to strengthen their structure and improve decision-making skills as a unified whole. Our goal is to establish meaningful connections with individuals by focusing on their unique strengths and needs. We provide tailored support services designed to enhance daily routines, foster personal growth, and encourage positive outcomes. By understanding each person’s specific circumstances, we aim to empower them with the tools and resources necessary to thrive in their daily lives, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling and successful future.

Taylor Stoddart

Prosperum is redefining campus health and safety by providing discreet, accessible, and affordable over-the-counter medication and sexual healthcare products where students need them most—right in their housing and campus buildings. Through self-service machines, Prosperum ensures 24/7 access to essential resources, breaking down barriers to care and empowering students to take charge of their well-being. By partnering with universities, the company is not just filling a gap in campus healthcare but fostering a culture of accessibility, education, and support. More than a business, Prosperum’s goal is to work on explaining its reach by building a network that provides entrepreneurial opportunities for women—specifically survivors of sexual assault—to own and operate their own machines, gaining financial independence while undergoing entrepreneurial mentorship to make an impact in their communities through business.

Jada Foote

Scholar World is a scholarship business dedicated to helping students attain higher education through scholarship consulting, strategy, and resources. It also serves as an educational platform, with Jada Foote as the leading education influencer. Through its guidance and support, Scholar World has helped students secure over $120,000 in scholarships, making higher education more accessible and affordable.

Swetha Balamurugan

ScholarSwap is an online marketplace built for students, by students. This platform connects high school and college communities, making buying and selling secondhand items directly on campus easy. ScholarSwap also fosters a sustainable and budget-friendly way for students to access what they need while strengthening connections within their campus community, from textbooks and dorm essentials to clothing and gadgets.

Sa’Mya Somerville

SimpleLuxury is an organic beauty care brand who’s purpose is to provide clarity and representation in the beauty care world. We currently source high-quality organic ingredients but in the near future we will be growing our own produce for our products.

Skye Shapiro-Simmons

Skye Meraki is a plant-based skincare brand dedicated to providing health-conscious products crafted with simple, pure ingredients. Founded by Skye Shapiro-Simmons after her journey to find holistic solutions for psoriasis, the brand is built on the mission of uplifting women by boosting their self-esteem and confidence through skincare and self-indulgence. The company’s flagship product, *The Essential* face and body cream, exemplifies purity and effectiveness, offering a versatile solution gentle enough for all skin types. Skye Meraki is more than skincare — it’s a movement toward mindful self-care and wellness.

Hamidah Brown

Spearhead of All Logistics was founded with a mission to provide safe, reliable, and compassionate non-emergency medical transportation for individuals with mobility challenges. Inspired by personal experience, co-founder Patrick Almond witnessed firsthand the struggle his paraplegic grandmother faced due to unreliable transportation options. Combining Patrick’s extensive logistics expertise as a disabled veteran and Hamidah Brown’s medical background as an active-duty service member, they established a company dedicated to bridging the gap in accessible transportation. Spearhead of All Logistics offers specialized transport services, including wheelchair-accessible and airport transfer solutions, ensuring that every passenger reaches their destination with dignity and care. Their vision is to revolutionize medical and mobility transportation by setting a new standard of excellence, reliability, and customer-focused service.

Olivia Mwangi

Founded in 2024 and based in Atlanta, GA, Stranded Beaut is revolutionizing the beauty retail industry with innovative and sustainable solutions. Specializing in beauty vending machines, Stranded Beaut brings convenience and accessibility to beauty essentials, ensuring consumers have what they need, when and where they need it. Stranded Beaut made its debut at the prestigious Spelpreneur Pitch Competition, showcasing its forward-thinking approach to meeting modern beauty needs. Driven by a commitment to innovation and sustainability, the company aims to redefine how beauty products are delivered and consumed.With a focus on raising capital for prototyping, Stranded Beaut is dedicated to bringing its vision to life, paving the way for a smarter and greener future in beauty retail.

Tierra Welch

T- Express LLC is a transportation logistics distribution company that has been organized since September 2021. T- Express LLC distributes various goods such as food, clothes, pharmaceutical drugs, and other valuable consumptions across the United States. The founder, Tierra Welch, has over 10 years of knowledge in warehousing and logistics and expanded her horizons by gaining experience transporting goods within the logistics distribution industry. T-Express LLC, has temporarily discontinued services due to rebranding. In the year of 2023, T-Express LLC partnered with “Prime Inc.” and trained 2 students to drive solo over the road, and generated over $201,000 in gross income.

Takara Franklin

Takara Social is a dynamic digital marketing agency specializing in content creation, social media management, and brand development for service-based businesses. With a strategic approach to storytelling and audience engagement, the agency helps brands establish a strong digital presence that drives visibility and growth. TakaraSocial works with med spas, hospitality businesses, and lifestyle brands, delivering high-quality content and marketing solutions tailored to each client’s unique goals. Beyond marketing, the agency is dedicated to community-building through initiatives like the Dallas Creative Meet Up, a networking and resource hub for entrepreneurs, creatives, and newcomers looking to find support, connections, and opportunities in the city. Through both strategy and community, TakaraSocial empowers brands and individuals to stand out and succeed in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Katie Baron

Tenacity Automotive Solutions is a mobile vehicle assistance service, aimed to help students and populations who are typically less informed on proper vehicle maintenance. We support the UMD College Park campus and surrounding areas up to 50 miles out. Offered services include oil changes, tire repair, battery jumps, diagnostics, and more. We have over 3 years of operational experience with two skilled and talented mechanics currently available to help (including one ford-certified technician). We partner with local auto parts shops to get the best deals and warranties in town.

Leilani Dexter

The Diamond Media was created to capture cultivating moments such as culture, nature, and individuality. We are a multimedia business that offers a broad range of services from photography, to website development, rentals and so much more! What sets us apart is both the quality & quantity of our services. Most photographers only provide editing services with their photos but we can also provide photoshopping, as well as custom graphics.

Valeria Brenner

Thryft Ship is a platform designed to simplify shipping, inventory management, and checkout for small businesses in the social commerce space. By eliminating manual tasks like copying addresses and managing orders, Thryft Ship helps sellers complete their fufillment process up to 75% faster. Its seamless tools and automation allow entrepreneurs to save time, focus on growth, and scale their businesses beyond what was previously possible. The company most recently graduated from the Techstars Bay Area accelerator and is eager to apply its learnings to growth and sustainable scaling.

Kevin Burnett

TrailEagle Packs is a soft goods and textiles company specializing in innovative outdoor gear designed for adventurers, hikers, and explorers. Founded by Eagle Scouts and student entrepreneurs, the company blends real-world experience with user-centered design to create high-performance products. TrailEagle Packs’ flagship product, the TrailOrigin 75L backpack, features a patent-pending all-access system for superior organization and convenience on the trail. Committed to quality and functionality, TrailEagle Packs aims to redefine outdoor experiences with thoughtfully crafted gear.

Fabiana De La Rosa

Wellbi is a student-led wellness startup dedicated to helping college students receive discreet, on-demand access to reproductive health supplies. Instead of snacks and drinks, Wellbi’s vending machine provides Plan B, contraceptives, menstrual items, and Wellbi Kits – affordable all-in-one hygiene kits. Our mission is to make campuses safer and ensure that everyone has access to basic wellness essentials regardless of age, gender and other barriers.

Laxmi Vijayan

yoTally is a smart stitch counter designed to help the 1 in 7 Americans who crochet focus on what they love—creating, not counting. Designed to attach seamlessly to any crochet hook, yoTally provides real-time stitch tracking without disrupting the creative flow. Combining innovative technology with a deep understanding of the crafting community, yoTally bridges the gap between traditional methods and modern convenience. The company is committed to enhancing the crochet experience through thoughtful design, intuitive functionality, and a passion for making creativity more accessible.