"Women make up 50% of the workforce and birth 100% of our citizens." Yet there are nearly no services to help women bodied professionals navigate between those two worlds. Margi Scott of Take 12 set out to change modern parenthood for the better. Lunar Startups launched its first cohort in the Fall of 2018. A startup accelerator determined to created better opportunities for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. But at the heart of this work were six companies. A group of entrepreneurs representing a variety of fields coming together with the support of Lunar Startups, to take their businesses to the next level. We’d like you to meet them. We asked the cohort founders to share the origin stories of their businesses. This week meet Take 12 and its founder Margie Scott.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

"Creatives are entrepreneurs, too. And we want to help them do their work better." The dynamic trio who founded Monicat Data knew that the artists in the community needed support. Their powers combined are bringing a workflow as a service to the marketplace. Lunar Startups launched its first cohort in the Fall of 2018. A startup accelerator determined to created better opportunities for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. But at the heart of this work were six companies. A group of entrepreneurs representing a variety of fields coming together with the support of Lunar Startups, to take their businesses to the next level. We’d like you to meet them. We asked the cohort founders to share the origin stories of their businesses. This week meet Monicat Data and its founders Kurt (Bloomberg) Rukim, Jasmine (Russell) Rukim and Cassie Utt.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

People from the Midwest are modest. Humble. They have a reputation for being hardworking and loyal. They don't put on heirs and don't enjoy watching others do it either. So what happens when you're an entrepreneur selling to Midwest consumers and investors? Is it more difficult to sell your product service or business concept to Midwestern sensibilities? Or do you wind up having to sell yourself (or your personal brand) first to get potential relationships built? We wanted to know... Is it harder to sell yourself or your brand?Lunar Startups is a new model for startup incubation specializing in growth, connection, and innovation for women, people of color, and other high potential entrepreneurs.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

"Our goal is to help you experience things in life that make you happiest." Listen to the founder, Conor O'Phelan, discuss the challenges and opportunities of product-market fit and changing how people experience their communities. Lunar Startups launched its first cohort in the Fall of 2018. A startup accelerator determined to created better opportunities for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. But at the heart of this work were six companies. A group of entrepreneurs representing a variety of fields coming together with the support of Lunar Startups, to take their businesses to the next level. We’d like you to meet them. We asked the cohort founders to share the origin stories of their businesses. This week meet Dojour and its founder Conor O'Phelan.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

No entrepreneur wants to fail. It’s not an enjoyable experience. It's not the expectation you have when you take this kind of risk. When putting yourself and your ideas out into the world the assumption is that you will succeed. At the very least, you will try your very best. No one goes into an entrepreneurial venture looking for failure. But entrepreneurs always know, deep down, that it is a possibility.Lunar Startups is a new model for startup incubation specializing in growth, connection, and innovation for women, people of color, and other high potential entrepreneurs.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

"Exactly what you need exactly when you need it. That's Clutch." Meet the app that wants to keep you safer and more secure in your everyday experience. Lunar Startups launched its first cohort in the Fall of 2018. A startup accelerator determined to created better opportunities for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. But at the heart of this work were six companies. A group of entrepreneurs representing a variety of fields coming together with the support of Lunar Startups, to take their businesses to the next level. We’d like you to meet them. We asked the cohort founders to share the origin stories of their businesses. This week meet ClutchSOS and its founders Mohammed Abduramin and Aaron Free.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

"Resource scarcity, discomfort, having to wear all the hats when you don't have expertise in all the areas. These are normal growing pains." How does a new program help entrepreneurs navigate the trials and tribulations of building a company? Entrepreneurs don't just achieve success with a snap of their fingers. For every successful business that is launched, there is a complex history filled with hours of work, struggle and dedication. Or what some would call, growing pains. Lunar Startups is a new model for startup incubation specializing in growth, connection, and innovation for women, people of color, and other high potential entrepreneurs.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

"Why are there not more Muslim girls participating in sports?" What started as a non-profit dedicated to increasing sports participation for Muslim women and girls has launched into an international company shifting the activewear industry. Lunar Startups launched its first cohort in the Fall of 2018. A startup accelerator determined to created better opportunities for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. But at the heart of this work were six companies. A group of entrepreneurs representing a variety of fields coming together with the support of Lunar Startups, to take their businesses to the next level. We’d like you to meet them. We asked the cohort founders to share the origin stories of their businesses. This week meet Asiya Modest Activewear and its founders Fatima Hussein and Jamie Glover.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

"When are you going to do your own thing?" Making the jump to entrepreneurship is risky but the benefits of working for yourself are high. Learn more about how the first cohort at Lunar Startups thinks about the upside of entrepreneurship. It has been said that entrepreneurs are a different breed. Equal parts fearless, naive and…normal. Sometimes that gets lost in all of our discussions of entrepreneurship. Businesses are started every single day by normal average everyday people.  People who dream of making their mark on the world or making the world better.The individual path to building a business is always unique. No two stories are alike. But one things seems to ring true for all. And that’s joy. It’s the moment when you decide to take a risk: to leave that terrible job, to share your idea with a trusted person, to write that check to purchase raw materials. There’s an energy that surrounds this first big step. A combination of nerves, nausea, and euphoria. Not unlike the minutes proceeding a first date. You’re hopeful but a bit cautious. You’re excited but somewhat realistic. But you already know that you love it. You love this feeling. The act of taking control of your career and forging a new path. Manifest Destiny! That feeling is joy.Lunar Startups is a new model for startup incubation specializing in growth, connection, and innovation for women, people of color, and other high potential entrepreneurs.To learn more or apply for a future cohort go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.

"The fact that it's personal to me is valuable." A self-taught technologist, Caroline Karanja set out to create a tech-enabled process for organizations that need support in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hear more about her company, 26 Letters, and why she is helping schools and businesses to rethink their human potential. Lunar Startups is a new model for startup incubation specializing in growth, connection, and innovation for women, people of color, and other high potential entrepreneurs.To learn more or apply to the program, go to lunarstartups.org Lunar Startups would like to extend a special thank you to the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media, Knight Foundation and Osborn370 for their continued support. Matriarch Digital Media (matriarchdm.com) produces this and other podcasts that understand, encourage and uplift women.