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 three new startups this spring. After 16 funding cycles, 59 ventures led by Columbia University students, alumni, faculty, or researchers, or are advised by Columbia University faculty or researchers have received funding.
The most recent funding cycle represents 3 Columbia University schools, adding to the portfolio whose founding teams represent over 14 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 at 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 2023
- Healing Schools Project, founded by Wenimo Okoya, '14PH '19TC, is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that teachers of color stay in the profession by guiding schools to support teachers' mental health and well-being.
- Level Leaders, founded by Nikoa Milton, '14BUS, and Jenny Tolan, '14BUS, is a multiracial women’s networking venture that is tackling the racial wealth gap by investing in Black women.
- QuikReversal, founded by Asher Varon, '18SGS '18JTS, is a medtech startup developing a wearable device that automatically detects an overdose and delivers naloxone without requiring a bystander.