The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, a Columbia Business School program that provides seed grants to nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid early-stage social and environmental ventures, has awarded seed grants to four startups this fall. After 12 funding cycles, the growing portfolio is now composed of 45 ventures, which are either led by Columbia University students, alumni, faculty, or researchers, or are advised by Columbia University faculty or researchers.

The most recent funding cycle represents three Columbia University schools, adding to the portfolio whose founding teams represent over 10 schools across Columbia University.  Upon selection, these entrepreneurs gain funding and access to a wide variety of connections and resources available through the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and Columbia Business School.

The following awardees were selected after their participation in an application screening round, a due diligence process with student teams from the Columbia Business School course Investing in Social Ventures, and a final pitch to the fund’s investment board:

Spring 2021

  • Brava, co-founded by Ifi Akpandak, ’13CC, and Bharat Anadure, is a for-profit venture providing digital gift card subscriptions to individuals and corporations to support black-owned restaurants and businesses in their community.
  • Options MD, founded by Morgan Hewett, ’15CC, and Kyle Pierce, is a for-profit medical technology venture using AI to match clients with treatment resistant health conditions to effective medications and improve adherence to treatment plans. 
  • Strong Children Wellness, founded by Omolara Thomas Uwemedimo, ’11PH; Suzette Brown; and Nicole Brown, is a for-profit venture integrating advanced pediatric primary care in community-based organizations to bring comprehensive physical health, mental health, and social services for psychosocially complex children and families in underserved communities.
  • Teratonix, co-founded by Johnny Huang, ’08BUS, and Yi Luo, is a for-profit energy venture developing ambient energy harvesting technology that aims to replace batteries in IoT devices to reduce the cost, waste, and emissions of these systems.