Top-ranked start-up accelerator gener8tor recently announced the participants selected for its gBETA St. Thomas summer 2021 cohort.
This will be the program’s third cohort since 2019 in collaboration with the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas.
gBETA St. Thomas is a free, seven-week accelerator that works with start-ups founded by University of St. Thomas students and alumni. Each gBETA program is capped at five companies. Their members receive intensive individualized coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors.
The associate dean of the Schulze School, Dr. Laura Dunham, shares in the excitement for gBETA St. Thomas. “The intensive mentoring, training and resources are vitally important for our entrepreneurs,” she said. Dunham leads a team of faculty and staff invested deeply in sustaining generations of entrepreneurship for the common good. “Students and alumni don’t have to go it alone. At the Schulze School, we can provide guidance and resources to help them navigate the uncertainties and challenges of start-ups. And with gener8tor, we amplify our effectiveness in supporting them.”
Each start-up has at least one founder who attended the University of St. Thomas. The start-ups have bases in the Twin Cities and represent a diverse mix of industries, like gaming and consumer packaged goods. Learn more about the five companies below.
gener8tor’s mission is to be the best partner for a community to invest into their best and brightest, and the five companies selected reflect this. The program is designed to help start-ups gain early customer traction on their product or idea, and establish metrics that can make them competitive applicants for full-time, equity-based accelerators or seed investment. The gBETA St. Thomas program is held twice a year. Start-ups interested in learning more and applying for the next program should contact gBETA St. Thomas Director Jake Smith at jake.smith@gener8tor.com or sign up for office hours. For more information on the gBETA St. Thomas program visit www.gbetastartups.com/st-thomas.
gBETA St. Thomas Summer 2021 Cohort
Love You Cookie
Love You Cookie makes indulgent, approachable cookies inspired by classic recipes and sells them through e-commerce and retail. As a 100% minority-owned business, Love You Cookie inspires millennials to be Defiant Optimists™ through community-focused media and events. In the last 30 days, Love You Cookie has sold $30K in cookies and signed Target and Lululemon as future retail partners.
Co-founder and CEO: Sahr Brima | sahr@loveyoucookie.com | loveyoucookie.com
Seraph 7 Studios
Seraph 7 Studios develops console video games (PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo) that create change for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities all over the world. Seraph 7 distributes through online marketplaces for instant purchase-to-play. Seraph 7 provides science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) work-study for local high school students. Seraph 7 Studios is a Minnesota Public Benefit Corporation and will release its first game in Q1 2022.
Founder: Jules Porter | jules@seraph7studios.com | seraph7studios.com
SimBull
SimBull Sports Exchange helps sports fans profit from their knowledge by trading virtual shares that represent professional and collegiate teams. Users buy and sell shares in virtual sports teams that mirror objective results, interact with other fans in SimBull’s sports community, and monetize their sports content. SimBull has over 1,500 active members and a market cap of $350,000.
Co-founder and CEO: Kenneth Giles | kenneth.giles@simbull.app | simbull.app
Willa’s
Willa’s creates deliciously creamy plant milks using whole, organic ingredients for the dairy free foodie. Willa’s Plant Milks are revolutionary in their nutrition-packed simplicity, delicious consistency, and no waste process, making them the healthiest and most sustainable options available. TRACTION.
Co-founder and CEO: Christina Dorr Drake | christina@willaskitchen.com | willaskitchen.com
ZeSa
ZeSa manufactures patented instability training devices for training, rehab and prehab protocols. ZeSa’s devices, the Activator Training Platforms®, combine instability and rotation with five progressive levels of difficulty to help trainees achieve optimal strength, balance and flexibility. ZeSa Fitness has sold $129K in Activators, including to 25 professional sports teams (MLB, NBA, WNBA, NFL).
Co-founder and CEO: Cindy Vavra | cindy@zesafitness.com | zesafitness.com
