The winner of Launch Greensboro’s spring 2022 Demo Day likens himself to a “modern-day Bob Ross with less hair.”
Sterling Freeman founded Greensboro-based Little Light Series, an arts education platform for children that includes books and online classes. Part of the Little Light Series, Freeman’s latest venture is Little Dreamers Character Art, an online platform where Freeman teaches children how to draw using numbers, letters and shapes.
Founded in 2020, Little Light Series recently completed the LaunchLab Growth accelerator program. On May 23, at Launch Greensboro’s semi-annual Demo Day, Freeman was awarded a guaranteed spot in next year’s Capital Connects, an annual pitch event that connects investors with local companies raising capital.
During his pitch, Freeman explained the benefits of Little Light Series including building confidence and fine motor skills.
“In addition to learning how to make art with numbers, letters and shapes, students are also practicing penmanship during a time when that’s been taken out of a lot of curriculums,” Freeman said. “They’re practicing public speaking at the beginning of classes to introduce themselves and at the end to share their artwork with classmates.”
Freeman said that his company has 2,100 subscribers across the world with a 46% re-enrollment rate and has made more than $75,000 since its inception in 2020. He is currently raising capital to develop a Little Dreamers Character Art app.
At Launch Greenbsoro’s Demo Day, 10 companies who completed the 14-week accelerator program delivered a pitch and then tabled with their product or service for attendees to learn more. A panel of four judges assessed each entrepreneur and decided who would be given the spot at Capital Connects.
The other nine startups who presented at Demo Day included:
- Soldier Socks, a sock brand that donates a pair to soldiers for every pair bought;
- Shown N3D, a virtual reality startup that provides a 360-degree virtual reality view of end-of-life viewings;
- Vibin' in Peace, a startup that promotes roots reggae concerts and artists;
- Eleanor Jade Handmade, a retailer and maker of polymer clay earrings that are lightweight and hypoallergenic;
- Insightful Branding, a digital experience management company that uses artificial intelligence to provide insights into data and branding;
- A Moment with Monet, a woman-founded life coaching company that aims to help women avoid burnout;
- 3D Upfitters, a company that creates enclosures and parts for 3D printers that help manage temperatures and plastic fumes;
- iMPACT Project, a life coaching and motivational speaking company that aims to empower students to find their purpose;
- Optera, a startup that produces a pheromone-based diagnostic test for beekeepers that determines if a hive is susceptible to mite damage.
