Zuley Clarke’s company Humblee is one of five women-led companies that have been selected to participate in the Spring 2017 Prosper Women Entrepreneurs (PWE) Startup Accelerator in St. Louis.
Each company will receive an initial $50,000 capital investment and will have the opportunity for up to $100,000 in follow-on funding. Participants gain access to mentors, exposure to a network of experts and investors, and receive a customized curriculum designed to advance business growth and raise follow-on capital. More than 80 percent of previous participants have received follow-on funding.
The goal of Humblee, according to Clarke, is “to help every creative team in the world produce social video faster.” Humblee clients pick from video templates that are optimized for social channels and are then connected to a video maker from a vetted global marketplace of videographers, editors and animators.
Prior to co-founding Humblee, she led the UX (user experience design) efforts at places like Shutterstock, The Economist and Showtime. She received a master’s degree in digital media from the Georgia Institute of Technology and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
PWE’s three-month program provides an intensive experience for women, solely focused on their business growth. Based in the heart of St. Louis’ innovation district, participants commit to being in St. Louis for 15 days during the three-month program.
In St. Louis, Clarke, who is based in New York, said she hopes to grow her client base and to meet new creative professionals to potentially work on video/design projects for Humblee.
The other companies selected to participate in the PWE Spring 2017 cohort are FetchFind, a career and education site dedicated exclusively to the pet industry; Makeena, a mobile app focused on making healthy products affordable; Per Diem Plus, an automated per diem and expense tracking mobile app designed exclusively for the transportation industry; and SOCIAL Sparkling Wine, an organic, gluten-free sparkling wine that is blended with super-food extracts and flower essences.
The Accelerator’s Spring 2017 program culminates on Demo Day (March 29) when the entrepreneurs pitch their plans to business leaders, venture capitalists, angel investors and potential clients.
The PWE Startup Accelerator is for women-led startup businesses with a focus in technology, healthcare/technology and consumer products. PWE defines a women-led business as a company with at least one woman in a position of leadership with significant and meaningful equity. PWE defines startups as companies that have a working product and preferably customers.
“PWE continues to impact an environment that is still vastly underfunded,” said Mary Jo Gorman, lead managing partner of PWE Startup Accelerator. “Only 10 percent of venture funding goes to women-led companies. And, as St. Louis grows in recognition as a hotbed of startup activity, we believe our collective impact can change the course for women.”
Prosper Women Entrepreneurs is now accepting applications for the 2017 Fall Startup Accelerator class which runs from August-November 2017. To nominate or apply, visit www.prosperstl.com/accelerator.
