This isn’t your typical accelerator – or your usual startups.
Sitting at the intersection of entrepreneurship, social change and Jewish community-building in the ever growing Silicon Alley, the PresenTense NYC Fellowship supports innovators and entrepreneurs, thinkers and leaders, creators and educators who launch companies to enrich community life, grow local economies and solve critical issues facing NYC and beyond – and has done so since 2011.
Here is a highly curated group of 12 Fellows who participated in their latest six month accelerator, meeting weekly, and gaining access to the valuable business tools, networks, coaching, mentorship, and roundtable speakers entrepreneurs need to help get their ideas off the ground. The program culminates with a Launch Night, this year on June 3 at the Centre for Social Innovation, where the Fellows will pitch their ventures to the community and show their latest and greatest to the world.
Does being part of an accelerator help? Read on to hear what the entrepreneurs have to say – and what they’ll happily show for it, come Demo Day. Here’s a sneak preview of their latest batch of social entrepreneurs out to help change the community – and the world.
The Happy Nest
Founder: Ariel Abrahams
The Happy Nest is a multi-purpose community space, specifically established for long public engagements, including sleepovers, retreats and residencies. Why? Because long gatherings, like sleepovers, foster community in fun, sustainable ways. Outside of the confines of work life, The Happy Nest provides space to explore,, recharge, and be wholesome together. Like a community spa, but with educational programming. Or a gym for the imagination.
“PresenTense is an awesome opportunity to learn about the successes and difficulties of fellow venturers, firsthand. Sharing tips, personal stories and frustrations – which often seem like secrets – makes the process of growing my project a more vibrant experience.”
CityPathways
Founder: Sanda Balaban
By the time low income students enter 6th grade, many have spent an average of 6,000 less hours learning than middle class students – roughly the equivalent of five years of formal schooling, which significantly influences the academic achievement gap.
CityPathways (cPaths) helps youths from under-resourced communities “see paths” to possible futures, through expeditions that align with their interests, expand their experiences, increase their knowledge, and ensure ongoing engagement and increasing expertise in city-related activities over time. Students earn micro-credentials for demonstrating diverse competencies that support success in and beyond school, equipping them for college and careers.
“PresenTense helped demystify what it takes to make a valuable idea into a viable enterprise.”
Visrael
Founder: Amy Benarroch
Visrael is a video-based learning program that connects children around the world with Israel. Visrael’s goal is to revolutionize the way Israel, its people and its culture, is taught in schools, congregations, camps and homes. Visrael has developed a library of nearly fifty videos that feature a mix of stop motion animation and live action documentary with Israeli children in order to bring Israel to life for 21st century learners. It’s your ticket to Israel without leaving your seat!
“PresenTense has taught me how to speak about my venture to others. Instead of selling a product, I’m solving a problem.”
BackPocket
Founder: Allie Conn
Created for educators, by educators, BackPocket is an interactive social-platform of searchable programs, games, and lesson plans that can be used in any learning environment. The user-friendly interface enables collaborative and intentional education by building networks of educators, creating a common language, and providing a venue for crafting curricula and sharing ideas. This wealth of experience is accessible right in your BackPocket!
“Being a part of the PresenTense Fellowship has encouraged me to think deeper about BackPocket and the ultimate vision that it is trying to reach. I have been so impressed and inspired by the others in the cohort and their ventures; they have pushed me to think about my own venture in new ways.”
Global Partnership for Emerging Leaders (GPEL)
Founder: Evan Davidoff
The Global Partnership for Emerging Leaders (GPEL) is dedicated to uniting LGBTQ emerging leaders from the global South and global North and creating a global network for human rights activists. This network serves as a means of uniting and amplifying the voices of emerging leaders on a range of issues related to LGBTQ human rights. Our annual conference in New York will serve as the catalyst for uniting these leaders.
“Being involved in PresenTense was a great opportunity for me to see the steps that are necessary to follow in order to make my venture go from an idea to a project to a fully functioning organization. I feel like even though we were all in different stages of our startups, we could all find these tools, workshops, and exercises useful in helping us see they way towards making our startups a success.”
Bliboosh
Founder: Michael Feder
Addressing the gap between access to information and implementation of information, Bliboosh curates financial literacy information, putting it in the hands of those who need it the most. Bliboosh increases understanding of the financial and banking systems in low income areas throughout New York, and eventually, across the country.
Operation Understanding
NYC Founder: Lizzie Horne
Operation Understanding’s mission is to build a generation of African American and Jewish community leaders who promote respect, understanding and cooperation, while working to eradicate racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination. They use their skills, vision and passion to build bridges between the Black and Jewish communities, and to creates leaders who seek to change the world, one person at a time.
The Safest Seat
Founder: Chana Lightstone
The Safest Seat empowers parents with knowledge of the proper use of car seats and hands-on demonstrations. In a climate with a 90% misuse rate, parents often ask which car seat is safest. Since all car seats on the market pass extensive testing, the answer lies in proper use of seats, and making sure that they are neither expired nor damaged. We seek to turn every car seat into the safest seat through education and distribution of child restraints, for those in need.
“PresenTense has empowered me to transform my venture from a “mom on a mission” into “The Safest Seat,” a nonprofit that will ultimately educate parents in proper car safety practices and replace car seats for those in financial need.”
jGirls Magazine
Founder: Elizabeth Mandel
JGirls is an online magazine written by and for girls and girl-identified teens across the Jewish spectrum. This forum is a safe space for girls to explore their concerns and exchange ideas across perspectives. By providing girls with a framework to create a Jewish community of peers on their own terms, jGirls strengthens girls’ voices, connections, self-esteem and self-identity, and contributes to a future cohort of bold, committed Jewish female leaders.
“PresenTense gave me invaluable access to professionals and subject matter experts who have been extremely generous with their time and experience in helping me to think through and refine my idea. It has been extremely energizing for me to meet weekly with a group of other committed, creative, and thoughtful social entrepreneurs.”
Take Root
Founder: Ariella Newberger
Take Root is a social network that connects Jewish converts to each other and to the wider community. Take Root seeks to empower converts’ voices by providing contact with the individuals who will help them gain deeper footholds in everyday Jewish life through their knowledge and friendship. Take Root’s social events focus on emerging adults and include Shabbat meals, monthly brunches, guest speakers, and an annual retreat.
“PresenTense has been a transformative experience, connecting me with people who crave the opportunity to help me grow my fledgling idea into an independent venture. I’ve loved getting to know my fellow Fellows and Coach Sloan, benefitting from the dedicated staff and support committees, and most of all, reconnecting with my own forgotten belief in my power to do something positive and effective in reaction to painful realities I’ve witnessed and can identify with.”
Mitsui Design
Founder: Yoshi Silverstein
Mitsui Design strengthens Jewish connections to nature through design and community engagement. We strive to create outdoor spaces that embody Jewish values and facilitate Jewish experiences when it comes to community and nature. Our approach is built on a sense of place: the unique qualities of local landscape, culture, and community. This pedagogy – the Torah of Place – creates Jewish stewards who remain grounded in tradition, while innovating for the future.
“Starting a new venture can be a lonely endeavor. PresenTense has been a lovely combination of start-up training and support group for hopeful social entrepreneurs. In addition to the hard skills and technical introductions to things like budgeting, prototyping, and “friendraising,” I’ve benefitted tremendously from the community of like-minded people – their support, encouragement, ideas, and the platform for honing in my pitch and the ideas behind it to something ready to take to the next step into world of Jewish community and social entrepreneurialism.”
The Invigorate Group
Founder: Gabi Weinberg
The Invigorate Group works to engage the Orthodox Jewish community to teach about startup methodology and create projects that can improve the community. They take the conversations of the Shabbat table and ideas that are often shared, but not executed, to the next level. Launching these events creates a culture of entrepreneurship currently lacking in the community. This is an intrapreneurial venture, sponsored by PresenTense.
“As part of the PresenTense process, I honed in on the details of the Invigorate Group. I am motivated to continue to improve, and I met a great new set of passionate individuals, who I will be able to turn to in the future.”
