gener8tor announced its gBeta program has expanded to Detroit and the city’s first cohort of entrepreneurs will finish the program Dec. 7.
Seven local startups were selected for gBeta Detroit, and began the program Oct. 19 at Detroit entrepreneurship hub TechTown. They will present their companies at a LiveBeta event on Thursday, with mentors, investors and others in the startup industry in attendance.
Stella Safari has been hired as director of gBeta Detroit. She is chief executive officer of entrepreneurship nonprofit Startup Effect, and previously was a director at co-working space Ponyride, director of operations at furniture startup Floyd, and an analyst at Invest Detroit. Safari holds a bachelor’s in women’s studies, math and social science from Dartmouth College.
gBeta is a free seven-week accelerator for early stage companies with ties to that city. Through the program, entrepreneurs have access to the gener8tor network of entrepreneurs and investors, a formal relationship with two to three mentors, coaching and mentorship from gener8tor employees, office space and more than $1 million in deals and perks from partner companies. The gBeta program does not take an equity stake in the participating startups.
Gener8tor also has gBeta programs in Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Beloit and northeast Wisconsin. gBeta Detroit will be held three times per year, accepting five to seven companies each time.
The startups that completed the first edition of gBeta Detroit are:
- Block x Block, an online retailer selling mini local art in custom boxes, with 5 to 10 percent of proceeds benefitting citizen-led projects to improve neighborhood blocks.
- Bogobrush, which makes sustainable toothbrushes and stands, and donates toothbrushes to low-cost health clinics in the upper Midwest through a buy one-give one program.
- Cellular EMT, an on-demand smartphone repair provider that comes to the customer.
- DaO, a maker of natural hair products for any type of hair.
- Detroit|Ento, an insect-based protein food manufacturer.
- Squish&Scrub, a pet health and grooming product innovator which has developed a self-cleaning, reusable scrub brush.
- The Lip Bar, which has created vegan, cruelty-free lip colors at a lower price point.
