Each year, Richmond Inno honors a group of the region's top young innovators, those who are well on their way to making a lasting impact in the local tech and startup ecosystem.
To highlight these future leaders, Inno has compiled a list of the most promising and notable entrepreneurs and technologists age 25 and under. They include a host of founders, both established and up-and-coming, current and former students and leaders at notable tech firms. This year's list, based on community nominations and Inno's editorial selection process, features 10 of the Richmond area's brightest innovators 25 and under.
Keep scrolling to read more about the Richmond Inno Under 25, class of 2021.
Christina Gordon, 25, dental student at Virginia Commonwealth University
Gordon, a doctoral student who is slated to graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Dentistry in 2023, used her real-life experiences with braces to develop a tool called the Proxy-Flosser that helps people more easily clean their teeth. To assist in the development of the prototype, Gordon received $10,000 through VCU’s Commercialization Fund, a resource provided through VCU Innovation Gateway to help university inventions advance to the marketplace. Her project was one of five to receive funding through the initiative.
Joe Jamison, 24, founder of VisitAble
Jamison, a 2019 University of Virginia graduate, is the founder and chief executive officer of Charlottesville startup VisitAble. Jamison created the company, which uses an accessibility test and disability ettiequte training to help businesses become more accessible to those with mobility issues. He founded the company in 2019 during his undergraduate studies based on the experiences of his father who is paraplegic and has been in a wheelchair for years. Most recently, Jamison received his Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies certification through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals.
Miles Martin and TJ Tann Jr., both 22, co-founders of Relai
Martin, a 2020 graduate of The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee; and Tann Jr., a 2021 University of Richmond graduate, are tackling supply chain issues with their Richmond-based startup Relai. The pair co-founded the company last year to help local businesses outside the scope of grocery and beverage through a relay race-type delivery service. Martin and Tann Jr. expect a full platform launch in early 2022.
Som Mohapatra, 20, and Thomas Stewart, 22, co-founders of Quantbase
Mohapatra and Stewart co-founded Richmond startup Quantbase, which offers people passive high-risk investment opportunities through various channels like automated index funds, cryptocurrency, NFTs and fine art. The pair is planning to launch the platform next month and already has a waitlist of more than 3,000 investors. To date, Stewart and Mohapatra have raised $275,000 through Y Combinator founders, hedge fund managers and traders.
Nicholas Searcy, 20, founder of Nameless Events
Searcy, a full-time student at Old Dominion University, founded virtual event management company Nameless Events in January. The company offers live stream support, event technicians and event management. Searcy and his team have helped non-profits across the country continue to raise funds and host virtual events throughout the pandemic and have supported more than 4,000 virtual event guests through the platform.
Taylor Seibert, 23, marketing and operations manager at Brandefy
Seibert, a 2020 graduate of the UVA McIntire School of Commerce, was hired last summer as a marketing and operations associate for Richmond-based startup Brandefy, a mobile app that gives users the ability to find quality, affordable alternatives to pricey, cult-favorite beauty products. Since then, she's risen to marketing and operations manager and was tasked with overseeing a major marketing push and recent launch of Brandefy's original skincare line, Skincall.
Alexander Singh, 24, chief executive officer and co-founder of MIST
Singh, a 2019 graduate from the University of Virginia, founded MIST, a Charlottesville startup developing computer vision-powered diagnostics for spinal imaging. Singh's decision to launch the startup in 2017 came after watching loved ones endure spinal fusion surgery following years of failed treatments for scoliosis. MIST's software uses machine learning and computer vision to create a predictive algorithm, reducing the error range for diagnosis. Singh, alongside co-founder Rohit Rustagi, took the startup through Richmond's Lighthouse Labs fall 2020 accelerator program.
David Weiss, 24, founder of Ayrro
Weiss, who is a 2018 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, created fintech startup Ayrro in 2019, initially out of his own desire to make extra cash after college. The platform — pronounced "arrow" — launched to the public in May and uses algorithms to execute trades automatically. Ayrro also acts as a social hub, where users can share their results and compete in leaderboard-type competitions. Most recently, Weiss enabled cryptocurrency trading through the app, which allows users to diversify their portfolios.