The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, a Columbia Business School program that provides $25,000 grants to nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid early-stage social and environmental ventures, has awarded funding to three new startups. After 18 funding cycles, 66 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 four Columbia University schools, adding to the portfolio founding teams that represent over 15 schools across the University. Upon selection, these entrepreneurs gain funding and access to a wide variety of connections and resources available through the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change 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 2024
- Commune Coliving, founded by Tara Heuzé-Sarmini, ’17SIPA, is the first co-housing company in the world dedicated to single-parent families.
- Shamiri Health, founded by Tom Osborn and Jianing Tu, ’25BUS ’25SEAS, provides affordable mental health care in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- WellMiss, founded by Jennifer ‘Jaki’ Johnson, ’18JRN, is a trauma-informed digital care clinic providing holistic and integrative care to women on their trauma-healing journey.