Lunar Cohort 3: How You Can Help

Each Lunar founder has identified a few ways that Lunar Experts could help their companies grow.

Many asks and company descriptions have evolved since our June expert meeting! We invite you to review the companies and founders’ requests for support, and to use the digital feedback button located below to tell us how you or someone you know could help Cohort 3 companies succeed.

Yonder

Yonder uses entertaining & educational content to prepare kids for a lifetime of healthy oral habits at home and at the dentist with the help of Mimi the Hippo™.

Asks:

1. We want to find experts in the kids content space as we want to have a more consistent presence on YouTube to provide free content for families to use at home.

2. Introductions to people in the dental industry for potential network growth and customer introductions. 

3. Introductions to people in kid education/entertainment/product space

4. Intros to pre-seed/angel investors

We Sparkle

We Sparkle helps founders build their businesses with balance via a digital assistant that optimizes their productivity by taking tedious administrative tasks, like scheduling meetings, off their plates. Let us help your business shine!

Asks: We are looking for people to subscribe to our Sparkle Assistant at https://www.wesparkle.ai, mentorship on potentially licensing our Sparkle Assistant, and identifying investors (especially lead investors and impact investors) for a potential round of financing.

Schoolz

A digital library of culturally relevant content, design by untapped creatives from our communities to help support distance learning for 3rd - 5th grade students. 

Ask 1: We are looking for philanthropic partners willing to sponsor a local team of writers, illustrators, and poets from underserved or underrepresented communities.

Ask 2: Help amplifying our rollout. Meaning, support making families & educators aware of our free distant learning content.

Safe Resell

Safe Resell is a safe and secure online marketplace for buying and reselling products locally.  This year alone there have been 4,907 resale scams and crimes in the United States and Safe Resell eliminates the threat of these scams and crimes by eliminating the use for cash through our online prepayment system and (in a week) our delivery system.

Asks: We are looking for assistance with user acquisition, funding as well as assistance increasing our brand awareness and strategic partnerships to be the official reselling platform for different companies.

NEOO Partners, Inc.

NEOO Partners is a creative real estate and stakeholder engagement solutions firm for public and private sector project leaders.

Asks:

NEOO is looking to grow its digital content marketing strategy, increase participation in government procurement programs, and grow the size of our clients from small to Mid-sized enterprises.

Asks: We had three asks that were post covid minded, but since the murder of George Floyd, the urban core has seen over $1B in economic loss and over 700 properties damaged primarily in communities of color.

We are raising a social impact fund to ensure there is a private sector solution alongside the philanthropic and nonprofit partners on the ground. 

We are looking for early introductions to people who are social impact investment minded!

Feminist Book Club

Feminist Book Club is the premiere online hub for intersectional readers and anyone who wants to infuse social justice into their bookshelf. We encourage resistance through reading with our blog, podcast, events, and our signature monthly subscription box.

Asks:

Shelves, bookcases, work tables, and storage tubs for our new studio space

Product or service donations to giveaway during our October Readathon Oct 9-11,

Introductions to any media outlets or journalists putting together holiday gift guides, particularly around gifts that give back.

Coconut Whisk

Coconut Whisk is a mission-driven, vegan & gluten-free baking mix company that helps busy families create healthy indulgences. We offer mixes for pancakes, cookies, muffins and more. Plus with every purchase, we donate a plant-based meal and address food insecurity.

Asks: Support our new brick and mortar spot in downtown Minneapolis when we launch in later 2020 (share with friends and family), be signed up for our stakeholder newsletter list (click here), warm intros to investors interested in the plant-based/CPG space.

Rocky Robinson

Rocky was created to encourage black girls to be their very best, using social & digital content to engage and educate, and branded personal care products to build self esteem and love.

Asks: We are looking for help with social and ecommerce selling, digital marketing, consumer acquisition, and influencer outreach/PR.

Minneapolis Craft Market

Minneapolis Craft Market is a live and digital marketplace  featuring handcrafted goods by designers and makers of the North.

Asks: 1. I would love connections to any media writers and press contacts for help in getting the word out about Minneapolis Craft Market as we turn to holiday gift shopping season.

If you have connections to artists and makers I would appreciate referrals. Makers can find our application and selection criteria at https://www.mplscraftmarket.com/apply-to-be-a-maker 

2. I would appreciate it if you are in need of handmade goods or gifts for you to check out our site. If you find something you love, please use promo code LUNAR at checkout for 10% off your order.

Events by Lady K

We partner with clients to create events where every attendee feels welcomed, celebrated, and included! Our goal is to change the world of hospitality, meetings, and events to become truly inclusive and equitable rather than maintaining the status quo that hasn’t worked for everyone.

Asks:

1. Warm introductions to decision-makers at organizations who could utilize our services for their virtual or hybrid in-person gatherings in the next 6 to 18 months;

2. Referrals or participation for the WCI Event Institute (launching January of 2021) 

3. Connections to resources and support for sabbatical leave to avoid burnout for myself, and to build rejuvenation into our company’s culture.

CheqrPay

CheqrPay is a mobile-first digital fundraising platform for small nonprofit and faith-based organizations.  Our solution fully integrates responsive donation pages, mobile wallet technology and scannable QR codes. We enable giving in as little as 25 seconds either online or onsite.

Asks: Our focus is on building brand recognition and our customer base.  We would welcome warm introductions to nonprofit organizations, church associations, industry influencers and website development agencies focused on the nonprofit sector

Peach Mindfulness

Peach is a virtual meditation guru that guides you with the simplest path to mindfulness. With Peach, you can start your day with a good mood and relax at night with a good sleep. No app installation, the meditation sessions are sent right to your phone through text messages. No decision to make, simply open the link and meditate.

Asks:

1. Introduction to schools and businesses, yoga studios, gyms who are interested in bringing mindfulness to employees/members as a wellness perk. 

2. We would like to partner with health companies that sell wellness bundles directly to corporates, potentially to bundle Peach Mindfulness into their wellness offers.

Imagine Deliver

Imagine Deliver is a strategy consulting firm for the new majority. We define the ‘new majority’ as people living multicultural lives between - and across - racial, gender, and other intersecting identities. Our team delivers the best insights and strategy because we tap into the world’s most overlooked innovators to develop brand new solutions for a rapidly changing world.

Asks:

1. Digital Marketing Experience for Positioning our E-Learning Materials

2. Introduction to potential insights and strategy clients (large nonprofit or philanthropic organizations, city government, healthcare)

3. Out of the box ideas for undiluted funding for B Corps

Cytilife

Our new COVID driven Smart Reopening solution helps universities, corporations, commercial buildings, public service organizations, to quickly automate safe distancing and contact tracing across their campuses in real time, leveraging our IoT/ AI enabled Smart Campus platform and experience with large marquee universities.

Asks:

1. Warm introductions to Provost, VP Student Affairs and CIOs at Universities 

2. Warm Introductions to Senior HR and Facilities Leaders at mid to large MN Companies, Commercial Buildings and Public Service Orgs like the YWCA/YMCA.

3. Help in looking for a COO/Chief Sales Officer candidate with B2B edtech experience

Bim Bam Boo

Bim Bam Boo is saving forests from the bottom up with bamboo hygiene products — including toxin-free toilet paper — especially formulated to remove allergens & irritants for a healthier wipe.

Asks: Can you introduce us to someone who has experience in the tissue/hygiene products industry that could sit on our advisory board? Additionally, we’d love to connect with other brands that you feel may align with ours so we can explore partnership opportunities. And last but not least, GO BUY BIM BAM BOO at Whole Foods

The button below will take you to a digital form with options to provide feedback for some or all of the companies, as well as for Lunar Startups.

Thanks for supporting Lunar and our cohort companies!