Square One Startup School was designed to surround and support first-time startup founders with a community that can be accessed from virtually anywhere in the world. 

Since launching in 2020, Square One has brought in over 50+ startup experts to train over 25 startup founders. We are super excited to add to our rapidly growing virtual community with the announcement of our largest cohort to date, Cohort 5! 

Meet The Founders

 

(Left to Right)

 

  • Elkanah Reed // Workopti // WORKOPTI is a strategic planning platform that provides one-click business insights to increase productivity and reduce meetings. 
  • Cortesia Oxford // The Branding Architect // The Branding Architect is developing a marketplace to discover digital assets such as video, photos, and illustrations with diverse representation for businesses to create inclusive marketing campaigns. 
  • Melissa Brogdon // Fourth Party // Fourth Party is a scheduling platform helping mediators streamline the coordination and meeting portion of the meditation process.
  • Naim Ali // Payote //  Payote is a Web3 marketplace for automotive merchandise. 
  • Deniece Griffin // Grown & Fit Studio // Grown & Fit Studio is developing a menopausal health platform addressing the needs of women 40+ in a community format.
  • Sheila Jordan // Knowledge Architects // Knowledge Architects is developing an AR/VR educational platform to upskill technicians in the industrial maintenance industry. 
  • Alex Edquist // Good Agriculture // Good Agriculture is a platform uniting small farmers under one business umbrella to compete against industrial agriculture at scale.
  • Vishwa Mudigonda // KemNu // KemNu is an engagement marketplace for educational institutions to improve student & community experience.
  • Lauren Randolph // Kin Collective // Kin Collective is a subscription-box filled with Black-owned food & beverage products making it easier for conscious consumers to support Black-owned businesses.
  • Shawanda Johnson // Picture Fresh // Picture Fresh is developing a modern air-purifier system to provide safe air quality for indoor environments.

Meet The Coaches

We have brought together a new batch of startup experts ranging from product development, legal, digital marketing, finance, and more to work 1-on-1 with our startups in Cohort 5 helping them reach their personalized goals for the program over the next 10-weeks. New coaches joining the Square One network include Sean Frazier, Managing Partner at 1731 MGMT and Brett Clanton one of the first hires and Lead Engineers for Calendly. 

(Left to Right) Manav Thaker, Stephanie Smith, Brett Clanton, Charlotte Clark, Lawrence O’Connor, Chris Gilmore, Sean Frazier, Phil Lakin, Durantae Lucas, Brandy Nagel, and more that aren’t photographed.

.

Wisdom Wednesday Sessions Are Back!

Last year we opened up our Wisdom Wednesday Series to the general public and had an amazing response and attendance from our Square One Community. For this cohort we are bringing in 3 new amazing speakers that consist of a Venture Capitalist, Executive, and Founder that forged their own paths in the startup world. 

Mckeever Conwell, Managing Partner at Rarebreed Ventures, Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon, CEO at All Raise, Ben Chestnut, Founder of Mailchimp

How To Stay Connected

Missed the application deadline? No worries, we got you! Here are 3 ways to connect with the Square One community and follow the journey of the amazing founders in Cohort 5: 

  1. Enroll in Square One: On-Demand to access a series of online courses
  2. Follow our Wisdom Wednesday Sessions to attend FREE events
  3. Subscribe to our Back To The Basics Newsletter to stay up-to-date