START: A Big-hearted Fund Powered by the Columbus Startup Community
I’m excited today to announce the launch of START, our region’s first-ever entrepreneur giving fund. START is a unique charitable fund with an entrepreneur-led advisory board aimed at supporting initiatives in central Ohio that are “starting up” something special in the community.
I’ve been a seed investor since 1999. All the money that I’ve raised, no matter where in the U.S. I was working at the time, has been from the community that I was in, whether the funding came from corporate investors, angel investors, institutions, or the state.
That experience is 10X true for Central Ohio.
That’s why for us at Rev1 Ventures, in this season, when gratitude and giving back are top of mind, it’s the ideal time to announce a new way for the many entrepreneurs in our region to give back.
START is guided by an advisory board made up of top founders in our region, including Mike Morgan, CEO of Updox; Shaun Young, CEO and founder of Ardina/Millenefits; Anthony Reynolds, Co-Founder and CMO of Refill; Pam Springer, President and CEO of ORIS Intelligence; Steve White, CEO and founder of Clarivoy, and Phil George, CEO & founder of MentorcliQ.
“We are thrilled to be part of an effort like this that really inspires entrepreneurs to give back while fueling initiatives that will have a lasting impact on the community,” said Phil George.
“While money is not necessarily in huge supply for many young companies,” he said, “founders can lead by example by carving out some time to get involved with the right causes. It’s easy to become hyper-focused on all of the other aspects of starting a company, but pausing to re-energize yourself and your team by doing something for others is invaluable to your startup and staff.”
A START project could have a technical flavor, such as increasing WIFI availability in underserved neighborhoods. It could be a green idea, like starting an urban garden, or it could be educational—maybe an afterschool science club for kids. The common thread is “starting up.”
Click to download more information about START.
From the involved public and private sector providing services and funding, including the Ohio Third Frontier, to the active angel and venture investors, to the corporate base, the Columbus region has done so much as a connected community supporting startups.
The impact is evident, in the new jobs, wealth creation, and entrepreneurial talent of the dozens of high-growth companies that are making their homes here.
I invite entrepreneurs, their teams, and anyone who benefits from innovation in Central Ohio, to join us in giving back. It’s easy to find out how good it feels to give back to this community that gives us so much.
Here’s how you can give to START:
Give online: The Columbus Foundation
Give via mail: Make the check to: The Columbus Foundation
Mail to:
The Columbus Foundation – START Fund of The Columbus Foundation
ATTN: Carter Hatch
1234 E. Broad St.
Columbus OH 43205
Contact:
Carter Hatch
The Columbus Foundation
Chatch@columbusfoundation.org
614-545-3240
