Entrepreneurs in the Austin, TX-based UnLtd USA accelerator’s third startup class seek to have an impact around the globe.
The five ventures aim to address underemployment in Haiti and Nepal, women’s economic empowerment in Mexico, and other issues that take their social enterprises far beyond the Texas state capital.
Each project will receive $5,000 of seed funding and access to UnLtd USA’s mentors, made up of local entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders. The year-long program begins with a three-month, accelerator-type session, followed by nine months of one-on-one support from an UnLtd USA Venture Fellow.
UnLtd USA was founded in 2014 and is the first American outpost of the social enterprise-focused accelerator that originally started in the U.K. in 2002. Here is more about the latest class of companies:
—Akumal Shop: This startup sells high-quality crafts made in indigenous, low-income Mexican communities.
—Care2Rock: A new initiative of the nonprofit Kids in a New Groove, Care2Rock is an interactive online music lesson site that says it supports the psychological and emotional development of youth in foster care through music mentorship.
—La Flaca: This venture grows food for customers in underused urban spaces.
—Circle of Health International: This new social enterprise sources “high-quality, responsibly made” cloth diapers and menstrual pads for those in crisis or in developing countries.
—Prosodio: This startup develops apps that help parents boost their children’s reading skills in preparation for kindergarten and grade school. The company’s first app, Pointer, focuses on parents and children reading together.
