Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub Invests in Four Equity Startups

Elevate Equity 2023 Cohort Begins

 Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, a startup accelerator for early and mid-stage social enterprise ventures, is pleased to announce its latest Elevate Equity accelerator cohort. All companies selected are developing products or services that will contribute to building a more equitable community in Greater Cincinnati and beyond. 

Flywheel has allocated $30,000 for investments in the selected companies with the help of its Philanthropreneur® donor/investors and other supporters. The accelerator is also providing another $40,000 of in-kind programming, coaching, and business services.  

Two of the companies in the Elevate Equity cohort are developing tech-enabled solutions to address specific aspects of systemic race or gender bias, and two are developing replicable system change models for scale and spread. All are led by underrepresented founders.

Cocoon Technologies - Leah Lewis.  A tech-enabled contactless policing platform to make routine traffic stops safer for police and motorists.  

Gotara- D. Sangeeta.  A tech-based learning, mentoring, and coaching platform designed to reduce the high burnout rate for women, underrepresented in tech and tech enabled industries.

The Empower Group - Elle Baker and Basette Smith II. Full-scale consulting firm that equips businesses with the tools and best practices required to engage in successful Fair Chance hiring.

All In Cincinnati - Denisha Porter.  Building toolkits and onboarding solutions for communities wishing to build successful broad based coalitions to address systemic racism and racial inequities through education, policy change, and community action.

Elevate Equity is an eight week entrepreneurial training program featuring weekly sessions covering business topics important to startup success. Each company is matched to a coaching team for additional support including connections to potential customers, talent, and capital. The program ends with a Demo Day presentation on April 18, 2023 at MadTree Brewing in Oakley where each company pitches to investors, potential partners, and future supporters. 

“We enjoyed an overwhelming response to our Elevate Equity program this year with 14 worthy applicants,” said Laura Randall-Tepe, Executive Director of Flywheel. “We selected four enterprises with a total of five entrepreneurs. Each one is truly passionate and well positioned to make measurable and lasting social change in Greater Cincinnati and beyond, while growing sustainable, profitable and scalable businesses.”

EY is the presenting sponsor of Elevate Equity 2023. “EY Cincinnati is honored to support the Elevate Equity program’s mission to make an impact on race and gender issues through business.” said Jeremy Vaughan, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), Cincinnati Office Managing Partner. “Diverse perspectives combined with an inclusive culture and equitable opportunities, drive better decision-making, stimulate innovation, increase organizational agility and strengthen resilience to disruption.”

Elevate Equity is made possible in part by the following funders and sponsors. The City of Cincinnati, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, First Financial, EY, Queen City Angels, and the Flywheel Philanthropreneur® investors.  Partners include Dinsmore, MadTree Brewing, Black Achievers, and Cintrifuse. 

Pictured left to right:

Elle Baker- Empower Group
Leah Lewis - Cocoon Technologies
Denisha Porter - All In
D. Sangeeta - Gotara
Basette Smith - Empower Group, Not Pictured.