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Myya
Location: D.C.
What is it? Myya bills itself as the first and only direct-to-consumer intimates and breast prosthetics brand that can bill insurance directly. The company creates post-mastectomy bra sizing at the customer’s home. The virtual service was born from the founder’s Maryland brick-and-mortar business, Cherry Blossom Intimates, which launched in 2018. An appearance on "Good Morning America" and the pandemic’s impact on the shift to virtual services led to Myya’s launch.
Who’s behind it? Jasmine Jones, founder and CEO of Myya, started the business after watching her grandmother go through breast cancer, she said. “I had a firsthand look at how women going through this terrible disease, or preventative surgery, were limited to poorly made prosthetics, ill-fitting bras, only given choices between two skin tones, or allocated to a terrible ‘shopping’ experience in a sterile medical supply store. I knew these strong women deserved better choices and a more thoughtful experience coming out of their treatment.”
What’s next? The company raised $1.25 million in a pre-seed round led by Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund in October 2020, and plans to open a seed round in late October 2021. The 17-person team is also hiring for an intimate apparel designer and a product manager. “My goal is to fit 1 million breast cancer survivors by 2025,” Jones said. “In a post-Covid world, we look forward to offering in-person experiences across the country.”
Location: D.C.
What is it? Myya bills itself as the first and only direct-to-consumer intimates and breast prosthetics brand that can bill insurance directly. The company creates post-mastectomy bra sizing at the customer’s home. The virtual service was born from the founder’s Maryland brick-and-mortar business, Cherry Blossom Intimates, which launched in 2018. An appearance on "Good Morning America" and the pandemic’s impact on the shift to virtual services led to Myya’s launch.
Who’s behind it? Jasmine Jones, founder and CEO of Myya, started the business after watching her grandmother go through breast cancer, she said. “I had a firsthand look at how women going through this terrible disease, or preventative surgery, were limited to poorly made prosthetics, ill-fitting bras, only given choices between two skin tones, or allocated to a terrible ‘shopping’ experience in a sterile medical supply store. I knew these strong women deserved better choices and a more thoughtful experience coming out of their treatment.”
What’s next? The company raised $1.25 million in a pre-seed round led by Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund in October 2020, and plans to open a seed round in late October 2021. The 17-person team is also hiring for an intimate apparel designer and a product manager. “My goal is to fit 1 million breast cancer survivors by 2025,” Jones said. “In a post-Covid world, we look forward to offering in-person experiences across the country.”
Courtesy Myya
Cavalry LLC
Location: D.C.
What is it? Billed as a “safety-as-a-service” mobile app, Cavalry aims to keep people — namely Black and brown people — safe during encounters with police. It provides tips on what to do if approached by law enforcement; has a button that notifies the user’s emergency contacts and shares GPS location; and provides additional services following the interaction.
Who’s behind it? Arie Mangrum, managing lead for the company, is part of an all African-American founding team. Formerly director of product at app development company ChopDawg, he came up with the idea after talking with his friends about the impact of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
What’s next? The company has raised about $3,000 from friends and family. “This has been enough to get us off of the ground with basic web services, email, cloud services and small marketing initiatives,” Mangrum said. Now, his nine-person team — all volunteers up to this point — aims to raise $100,000 to launch nationwide and cover additional marketing costs. The goal is to go live by the end of this fall, before expanding into more U.S. cities in 2022.
Location: D.C.
What is it? Billed as a “safety-as-a-service” mobile app, Cavalry aims to keep people — namely Black and brown people — safe during encounters with police. It provides tips on what to do if approached by law enforcement; has a button that notifies the user’s emergency contacts and shares GPS location; and provides additional services following the interaction.
Who’s behind it? Arie Mangrum, managing lead for the company, is part of an all African-American founding team. Formerly director of product at app development company ChopDawg, he came up with the idea after talking with his friends about the impact of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
What’s next? The company has raised about $3,000 from friends and family. “This has been enough to get us off of the ground with basic web services, email, cloud services and small marketing initiatives,” Mangrum said. Now, his nine-person team — all volunteers up to this point — aims to raise $100,000 to launch nationwide and cover additional marketing costs. The goal is to go live by the end of this fall, before expanding into more U.S. cities in 2022.
Rob Lay
Ivy’s Tea Co.
Location: Lanham
What is it? The herbal tea company uses hip-hop culture to reach millennials.
Who’s behind it? Shanae Jones, herbalist and founder of Ivy’s Tea Co., is a first-born American to British and Jamaican parents. She’s been drinking tea since age 5 — and launched the business in 2016. That’s also when she started a herbal apprenticeship to teach marginalized individuals about plant medicine and the healing properties of tea.
What’s next? To date, Jones has won three grants for her business totaling $13,000 and is otherwise entirely bootstrapped. She plans to start raising funding, roughly $1 million, in 2022 now that she’s reached five figures in monthly recurring revenue, she said. That capital would allow Ivy’s Tea to expand and hire more people — and, ultimately, initiate a global expansion, Jones said. “Sounds wild, I know, but if I were a small dreamer, then I wouldn't be here.”
Location: Lanham
What is it? The herbal tea company uses hip-hop culture to reach millennials.
Who’s behind it? Shanae Jones, herbalist and founder of Ivy’s Tea Co., is a first-born American to British and Jamaican parents. She’s been drinking tea since age 5 — and launched the business in 2016. That’s also when she started a herbal apprenticeship to teach marginalized individuals about plant medicine and the healing properties of tea.
What’s next? To date, Jones has won three grants for her business totaling $13,000 and is otherwise entirely bootstrapped. She plans to start raising funding, roughly $1 million, in 2022 now that she’s reached five figures in monthly recurring revenue, she said. That capital would allow Ivy’s Tea to expand and hire more people — and, ultimately, initiate a global expansion, Jones said. “Sounds wild, I know, but if I were a small dreamer, then I wouldn't be here.”
@controlled.khaos
Chase Therapeutics Corp.
Location: D.C.
What is it? The clinical-stage pharmaceutical company launched in 2016 and has since been developing drugs for brain disease. Its pipeline includes candidates for Parkinson’s disease and major depressive disorder, both entering late-stage trials.
Who’s behind it? Dr. Thomas Chase, president and CEO of Chase Therapeutics is an alum of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. He’s also founded and led multiple specialty pharmaceutical companies, including Chase Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Allergan in 2016.
What’s next? The biotech announced Oct. 20 $20 million in Series B funding, on top of a prior $5.2 million in Series A capital. The latest financing will support clinical trials for its two drug candidates in late-stage development, as the company advances a diagnostic product for Parkinson’s.
Location: D.C.
What is it? The clinical-stage pharmaceutical company launched in 2016 and has since been developing drugs for brain disease. Its pipeline includes candidates for Parkinson’s disease and major depressive disorder, both entering late-stage trials.
Who’s behind it? Dr. Thomas Chase, president and CEO of Chase Therapeutics is an alum of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. He’s also founded and led multiple specialty pharmaceutical companies, including Chase Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Allergan in 2016.
What’s next? The biotech announced Oct. 20 $20 million in Series B funding, on top of a prior $5.2 million in Series A capital. The latest financing will support clinical trials for its two drug candidates in late-stage development, as the company advances a diagnostic product for Parkinson’s.
Courtesy Chase Therapeutics Corp.
Vegan Skin
Location: Northwest D.C.
What is it? The plant-based skin care company specializes in products for people with sensitive skin, with three signature products: a face and body butter, a face and body scrub, and a scalp and body oil.
Who’s behind it? Paul Joseph, its founder, was diagnosed at age 23 with a skin disease called Hidradenitis Suppurativa, for which there’s no cure. The condition causes painful boils all over the body and, by age 30, Joseph had undergone up to 25 surgeries, he said. “I contemplated ending my life as a result of my relentless suffering, but decided in my darkest hour instead that if no products existed for my unique skin needs, I would create them.” He launched the business in 2017.
What’s next? Joseph is looking to hire a social media manager to create content and manage Vegan Skin’s accounts, and a digital marketer to create online ads and drive traffic to its site. Top priority heading into 2022: launching a new hair care and body line that includes a shampoo, conditioner, body wash — and pet products.
Location: Northwest D.C.
What is it? The plant-based skin care company specializes in products for people with sensitive skin, with three signature products: a face and body butter, a face and body scrub, and a scalp and body oil.
Who’s behind it? Paul Joseph, its founder, was diagnosed at age 23 with a skin disease called Hidradenitis Suppurativa, for which there’s no cure. The condition causes painful boils all over the body and, by age 30, Joseph had undergone up to 25 surgeries, he said. “I contemplated ending my life as a result of my relentless suffering, but decided in my darkest hour instead that if no products existed for my unique skin needs, I would create them.” He launched the business in 2017.
What’s next? Joseph is looking to hire a social media manager to create content and manage Vegan Skin’s accounts, and a digital marketer to create online ads and drive traffic to its site. Top priority heading into 2022: launching a new hair care and body line that includes a shampoo, conditioner, body wash — and pet products.
Courtesy Vegan Skin
1847 Philanthropic
Location: D.C.
What is it? The consulting firm works with foundations, corporations, institutional investors and individual philanthropists to create fundraising processes for organizations in Africa.
Who’s behind it? Rashida Petersen, its founder and CEO, runs the business with a co-founder who’s based in Kenya. She previously held positions with the U.S. Department of Commerce; the African Development Bank in Tunis, Tunisia; and The Corporate Council on Africa.
What’s next? The 7-year-old company is looking to bring on an executive assistant with some project manager experience, as it works with another fundraising firm to build an educational tool to teach individuals how to fundraise. So far, 1847 has tested its curriculum with 19 nonprofits around the country, Petersen said. “Anyone that works for a nonprofit right now knows that finding development staff is very difficult. We need more people to be skilled up to know how to raise the funds that they need to keep their organizations going.”
Location: D.C.
What is it? The consulting firm works with foundations, corporations, institutional investors and individual philanthropists to create fundraising processes for organizations in Africa.
Who’s behind it? Rashida Petersen, its founder and CEO, runs the business with a co-founder who’s based in Kenya. She previously held positions with the U.S. Department of Commerce; the African Development Bank in Tunis, Tunisia; and The Corporate Council on Africa.
What’s next? The 7-year-old company is looking to bring on an executive assistant with some project manager experience, as it works with another fundraising firm to build an educational tool to teach individuals how to fundraise. So far, 1847 has tested its curriculum with 19 nonprofits around the country, Petersen said. “Anyone that works for a nonprofit right now knows that finding development staff is very difficult. We need more people to be skilled up to know how to raise the funds that they need to keep their organizations going.”
Kevin Ouma
equalityMD
Location: Arlington, with an office in Richmond
What is it? The health tech and software-as-a-service company aims to deliver inclusive and personalized health care to the LGBTQ+ community by matching patients with mental health providers.
Who’s behind it? Justin Ayars, founder and CEO of equalityMD, is “a recovering health care trial lawyer” and serial entrepreneur who saw the need for this venture as the pandemic only exposed existing inequities for underserved patients and highlighted the power of telemedicine, he said. “The most common question LGBTQ+ people ask of me and of each other is, ‘Where can I find a medical provider where I feel safe being myself?’ I created equalityMD to answer that question resolutely and permanently.”
What’s next? The business has raised some funding from friends and family, as well as a pre-seed round, and is otherwise largely bootstrapped — and expects to raise more capital going forward. With nine employees, it’s shooting to bring on a product manager, as well as additional tech and administrative hires. Goals for 2022 include adding more patients and mental health providers to the platform, adding more people to the team, introducing new practice areas and opening, and inclusive health and wellness marketplace.
Location: Arlington, with an office in Richmond
What is it? The health tech and software-as-a-service company aims to deliver inclusive and personalized health care to the LGBTQ+ community by matching patients with mental health providers.
Who’s behind it? Justin Ayars, founder and CEO of equalityMD, is “a recovering health care trial lawyer” and serial entrepreneur who saw the need for this venture as the pandemic only exposed existing inequities for underserved patients and highlighted the power of telemedicine, he said. “The most common question LGBTQ+ people ask of me and of each other is, ‘Where can I find a medical provider where I feel safe being myself?’ I created equalityMD to answer that question resolutely and permanently.”
What’s next? The business has raised some funding from friends and family, as well as a pre-seed round, and is otherwise largely bootstrapped — and expects to raise more capital going forward. With nine employees, it’s shooting to bring on a product manager, as well as additional tech and administrative hires. Goals for 2022 include adding more patients and mental health providers to the platform, adding more people to the team, introducing new practice areas and opening, and inclusive health and wellness marketplace.
Courtesy Justin Ayars
BCMstrategy Inc.
Location: Alexandria
What is it? The company’s tech measures public policy volatility around areas including digital currency, climate, trade policy, monatary policy and banking regulation.
Who’s behind it? Barbara Matthews, founder and CEO of BCMstrategy, is a lawyer by training with a deep interest in the innovation frontier, she said. “My reading on technology during the Great Financial Crisis about what could be done with natural language processing made me realize that I could automate nearly every part of the geopolitical analytical process and generate quantitative risk data from the language of public policy using the humble metadata tag. Being a lawyer, I did what any good lawyer would do: I filed for a patent.” Then she started the business. Matthews has also held positions with the Institute of International Finance, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Department of Treasure and the Department of State.
What’s next? BCMstrategy charges forward with $50,000 in fresh funding from the Center for Innovative Technology, bringing its lifetime capital to more than $800,000 mostly from angel investors. The company may hire a full-time chief technology officer, as well as a dedicated sales and marketing team, “if we acquire sufficient funding and/or revenue during early 2022,” Matthews said. The business is also launching an app on the Bloomberg Terminal in the coming weeks.
Location: Alexandria
What is it? The company’s tech measures public policy volatility around areas including digital currency, climate, trade policy, monatary policy and banking regulation.
Who’s behind it? Barbara Matthews, founder and CEO of BCMstrategy, is a lawyer by training with a deep interest in the innovation frontier, she said. “My reading on technology during the Great Financial Crisis about what could be done with natural language processing made me realize that I could automate nearly every part of the geopolitical analytical process and generate quantitative risk data from the language of public policy using the humble metadata tag. Being a lawyer, I did what any good lawyer would do: I filed for a patent.” Then she started the business. Matthews has also held positions with the Institute of International Finance, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Department of Treasure and the Department of State.
What’s next? BCMstrategy charges forward with $50,000 in fresh funding from the Center for Innovative Technology, bringing its lifetime capital to more than $800,000 mostly from angel investors. The company may hire a full-time chief technology officer, as well as a dedicated sales and marketing team, “if we acquire sufficient funding and/or revenue during early 2022,” Matthews said. The business is also launching an app on the Bloomberg Terminal in the coming weeks.
Courtesy Barbara Matthews
Clear
Location: Northeast D.C.
What is it? Clear, formerly Digiteyez Technologies, offers a home eye test to generate prescriptions via a virtual platform. It also has an optometry suite that allows eye care professionals to treat patients remotely.
Who’s behind it? Brandon Zimmerman, Clear’s founder and CEO, started a contact lens company in high school before taking his interest in optics to the University of Rochester’s optical science school. He then earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in optical physics and engineering — and had worked at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as an optical physicist, designing robot eyes for space.
What’s next? The company raised a $600,000 friends-and-family round in January and has since built the first prototype. It’s now raising a seed round, aiming to close in January. That’s in addition to hiring across engineering, product, science and sales roles. Clear is preparing to make its in-clinic solution for eye care professionals available by the first quarter, then rolling out a big data solution for consumers and industry players. The business also plans to enter clinical trials in 2022, Zimmerman said, to “ensure that our products are commercialized to the best in-clinic standards and practices.”
Location: Northeast D.C.
What is it? Clear, formerly Digiteyez Technologies, offers a home eye test to generate prescriptions via a virtual platform. It also has an optometry suite that allows eye care professionals to treat patients remotely.
Who’s behind it? Brandon Zimmerman, Clear’s founder and CEO, started a contact lens company in high school before taking his interest in optics to the University of Rochester’s optical science school. He then earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in optical physics and engineering — and had worked at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as an optical physicist, designing robot eyes for space.
What’s next? The company raised a $600,000 friends-and-family round in January and has since built the first prototype. It’s now raising a seed round, aiming to close in January. That’s in addition to hiring across engineering, product, science and sales roles. Clear is preparing to make its in-clinic solution for eye care professionals available by the first quarter, then rolling out a big data solution for consumers and industry players. The business also plans to enter clinical trials in 2022, Zimmerman said, to “ensure that our products are commercialized to the best in-clinic standards and practices.”
Courtesy Brandon Zimmerman
The Money PlayBook
Location: Northeast D.C.
What is it? The company, which offers a series of coaching sessions, aims to help high earners take control of their finances and understand their spending habits so they don’t break the bank.
Who’s behind it? It comes from founder Taryn Bushrod, who started the business after getting herself out of debt in her 20s, falling into debt again due to medical reasons and learning about her own relationship with money, she said. “I then spent some time helping others and realized an opportunity in the market to turn it into a business.”
What’s next? Bushrod, who also holds the title “money mindset coach,” is looking to offer a spring internship to a local college student. And she’s starting to work with rookie and second-year NFL and NBA athletes, she said. “My top priority is to engage sports teams for player development sessions.”
Location: Northeast D.C.
What is it? The company, which offers a series of coaching sessions, aims to help high earners take control of their finances and understand their spending habits so they don’t break the bank.
Who’s behind it? It comes from founder Taryn Bushrod, who started the business after getting herself out of debt in her 20s, falling into debt again due to medical reasons and learning about her own relationship with money, she said. “I then spent some time helping others and realized an opportunity in the market to turn it into a business.”
What’s next? Bushrod, who also holds the title “money mindset coach,” is looking to offer a spring internship to a local college student. And she’s starting to work with rookie and second-year NFL and NBA athletes, she said. “My top priority is to engage sports teams for player development sessions.”
M. Shonell Photography LLC
Vrypac Inc.
Location: Northwest D.C.
What is it? The design and e-commerce company sells backpacks for outdoor activity and travel, now expanding with a patent for a chest pack design that’s in production in New York.
Who’s behind it? Teka Thomas, founding CEO of Vrypac, started the company after setting out on a short run down Georgia Avenue in D.C. and realizing “there was nothing right-sized for the task,” he said. So he teamed up with a distant cousin based in Maryland who makes sports uniforms and accessories, built his brand and got to work.
What’s next? Thomas is preparing to open a low-five-figure round via Kickstarter to fund a small manufacturing and marketing run. He’s also considering hiring a business development employee while focusing on launching the chest pack for outdoor use (think: skiing) as well as users in other markets: people with disabilities and construction workers among them.
Location: Northwest D.C.
What is it? The design and e-commerce company sells backpacks for outdoor activity and travel, now expanding with a patent for a chest pack design that’s in production in New York.
Who’s behind it? Teka Thomas, founding CEO of Vrypac, started the company after setting out on a short run down Georgia Avenue in D.C. and realizing “there was nothing right-sized for the task,” he said. So he teamed up with a distant cousin based in Maryland who makes sports uniforms and accessories, built his brand and got to work.
What’s next? Thomas is preparing to open a low-five-figure round via Kickstarter to fund a small manufacturing and marketing run. He’s also considering hiring a business development employee while focusing on launching the chest pack for outdoor use (think: skiing) as well as users in other markets: people with disabilities and construction workers among them.
Street Entrepreneurs
Greater Washington is rich with startups — and many fly below the radar.
Until now.
We’ve been on the hunt for those early-stage, under-the-radar or stealth-mode companies in this ecosystem — because they don’t have to live in the spotlight to do important work.
The region’s entrepreneurial landscape includes founders and small-business owners who have taken significant strides to build and grow their ventures while, yes, keeping their heads down. So we asked around, sourced our networks and reached out to the community to identify some of the D.C.-area entrepreneurs who we don’t know, but should.
Thank you to those of you who shared your thoughts. If you’d still like to, please do. We aren’t done looking.
This group of entrepreneurs is as diverse as their ventures are interesting. Of course, this is not an all-encompassing list. Rather, it’s a snapshot of some of the innovative activity quietly happening around us.
Flip through the gallery above and meet this group of local players you might not have met yet.
