Rising Tide Announces the Winners of the 1st FORT Cohort.

Fort Worth, Texas - Oct. 17th, 2018 - The Rising Tide Initiative team received an immense amount of support and engagement for the FORT. Deliberation was difficult based on the quality of applications received. Ultimately, we have selected a group of entrepreneurs that will not only work well together but that will also work to better the community around us.

Please give a warm welcome to the 1st FORT cohort:

1. Securing Life Today, Brandon Burton

A veteran-owned finance software company designed to help secure your financial future.

2. Neuro Rehab VR, Veena Somareddy

Virtual and augmented reality training exercises for physical therapy leveraging breakthroughs in neuroplasticity.

3. Rollin' n Bowlin' Fresh Foods, Sophia Karbowski

A fresh food company started their senior year at Texas Christian University.

4. Welman Project, Vanessa Barker and Taylor Willis

A non-profit dedicated to serving teachers by filling classrooms, not landfills.

5. Chappell Capital, Chase Chappell

A digital marketing agency that is trusted by brands, businesses, agencies, and individuals to help drive meaningful engagement.

6. Sledge Outfitters, Evan Sledge

A professional guide service sharing a deep respect for the great outdoors and expertise in fishing and hunting.

7. Cause Labs, Sheryle Gillihan

Since 2003, Cause Labs has been building award-winning websites, apps, and web platforms to help organizations scale their impact.

8. CMAS Foundation, Guillermo Zamarripa

A catalyst for student-athletes from underserved communities to gain access to higher education through collegiate athletics.

9. Flourish, Zachary Morrow

An app that helps you give to causes every time you swipe your debit or credit card and tracks the impact of you donations.

10. Crater, Vu Francois

The future of local TV – led by creators, made for mobile, and powered by AI.

11. MPG Research, Michael Mayes

A research firm that is helping people understand peer-to-peer payment networks and the potential for secure, decentralized networks.

12. Plutus 21, Hamiz Awan

An investment firm focused on alternative assets such as crypto, venture capital, and real estate.

13. Homebody, Ashlee Inman

An app that sends highly trusted adults to wait on your behalf when you need someone at home, but can’t be.

14. Solgro, Tyler Sickles

Light converting greenhouse films help commercial crop growers who want to increase productivity.

15. Fade, Farhaj Mayan

An app that helps you book barbers personalized to your unique hair needs.

"Thank you to all of the entrepreneurs that applied to be in the 1st cohort. We're looking forward to serve through our mission to inspire and empower others to achieve their dreams." said Kevin Grace, Chairman, Rising Tide Initiative.

Rising Tide Initiative utilized a scoring system that evaluates brand equity, team fit, team quality, time to sustainability, sales pipeline status, and community giveback. Individual feedback on areas of improvement will be provided to applicants that were not accepted.

Rising Tide Initiative and WeWork invite the community to join in supporting the work of these exceptional entrepreneurs.

RSVP here for the launch party on October 29th at 5:30pm. Local music by Jake Paleschic and Kyle Redd. A special emcee, Dr. Smilorwill be guiding us through the evening. Dr. Smilor is a nationally recognized expert, motivational speaker and lecturer on entrepreneurship. Formerly, he served as President of the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

The FORT is a project created by the Rising Tide Initiative. Through a collaboration with WeWork, we are providing ten entrepreneurs a free place to build their business for six months. It's more than a desk; it's a community.

About Rising Tide Initiative

Rising Tide Initiative is a leader and supporter of new ideas, ventures, and creations that ultimately better the lives of those around us. We collaborate with individuals and organizations to change the world by increasing social and economic prosperity within our local communities.

About WeWork

WeWork is a global network of workspaces where companies and people grow together. We transform buildings into dynamic environments for creativity, focus, and connection.

Written by

Kevin Grace