IGNITE Community Accelerator Grads Pitch Their Companies to Community
Nov 09, 2016
The IGNITE Community Accelerator, which is offered by CNM Ingenuity at the STEMulus Center, is an entrepreneurial accelerator that helps young businesses grow up fast.
Owners of the 12 early-stage companies participating in the accelerator met every Friday for the previous 12 weeks and were immersed in a vigorous and focused “boot camp” environment filled with curriculum on how to develop business models, when to start hiring, customer validation, building company infrastructure and prototypes, marketing and financial literacy.
The businesses and their owners that were showcased on IGNITE Day are:
Fast In Shape – Thierry Milleret
Fast In Shape is an instant, all natural satiation shake. It allows individuals to lose weight and regain vitality without feeling deprived. Just add water, mix and enjoy.
Coach: Darlene Collins
Blanca’s Learning Center – Blanca Gasson
Providing an interactive, age-appropriate, bilingual learning environment for children ages six weeks to 5-years-old. Our goal is to raise “learners,” children not afraid of challenges but find active learning to be a joyful experience.
Coach: Eric Collins
Fanseat, Carmelita Medina-Minick
The FanSeat is an ergonomic, comfortable, light-weight portable stadium seat. No more back ache – it offers up and down ease and the handle that makes it simple to carry. Every fan will want the name of their team on the FanSeat.
Coach: Fehrunissa Willet
Catigoria – Terrence Lebeck
As a professional organizing service for homes and businesses, Catigoria works with you to make your space more comfortable, more efficient and more reflective of your style. Tame the chaos, ease your mind.
Coach: Fehrunissa Willet
Paradise Nails & Spa – Thanh Truong
In a low price and volume industry, Paradise Nails delivers a high quality experience for its customers through increased customer service training for nail technicians, resulting in higher job satisfaction and employee retention.
Coach: Holly Hitzemann
Bad Ass Bugs – Khalil Joaquin
Bad Ass Bugs offers feeder insects and organic insect food for exotic pets and animals. Coach: Eric Collins
Organizational Rebel® LLC – Barbra Portzline
Our proprietary P6 Assessment helps businesses address misalignment in the areas of People, Practices, Processes, Promotions, Productivity and Profit in the workplace.
Coach: Tom Darling
Bodiié – Curtis Triplette
Bodiié is unique casual sports clothing made for everyday people that live a convenient lifestyle. Finally, a quality brand that fits everyone regardless of race, sex, color or style.
Coach: Richard Garcia
The Monk's Mug – Matthew Gamel and Daniel Carlisle
The Monk’s Mug envisions artisanal coffee and socializing via tabletop roleplaying games, card games and tournaments in an eclectic environment.
Coach: Karen Hanthorn-Rhodes
Tu Onda Magazine, Rocio Holguin, Omar Serrano“Tu Onda Magazine” is dedicated to empowering our community with valuable information in English and Spanish. We differentiate by focusing information for the reader, and not gossip, in the hopes of uniting our diverse community
Coach: Holly Hitzemann
Le Petit Fashions, Designs and Alterations by Reyna – Reyna Moreno
The dress should reflect the event. Le Petit Fashions, Design and Alterations by Reyna customizes formal wear through skill and artistic inspiration to create the one-of-a-kind experience that lasts a lifetime.
Coach: Richard Garcia
The Dancing Turtle LLC – Christopher Lim
The world's only reptile shop and break-dance studio. The studio teaches, promotes and hosts dance events with the reptile shop on weekends, as well as selling a variety of local artist items, jewelry, and studio shirts.
Coach: Cecilia Colucci
The 12 companies were selected from a competitive field of applicants to be chosen for the IGNITE Community Accelerator. The companies had to demonstrate potential economic impact on New Mexico. And the companies were reviewed for compatibility among the group and how they could contribute to each other’s success.
Each company was paired with a coach who has entrepreneurial experience in a similar field, as well as a mentor who is successfully running a business, also in a related field. The volunteer mentors met with the business owners for five hours during the full 12 weeks.
IGNITE Community Accelerator services included: 30 hours of one-on-one business coaching; 10 hours of business workshops; 48 hours of intense business training; five hours of time with an industry mentor; access to co-working space at the STEMulus Center in Downtown Albuquerque throughout the 12-week program; access to the FUSE MakerSpace at the CNM Main Campus for help with prototype development if needed; support in developing a 100-day tactical plan for the business after the Accelerator is over.