Watch Techstars Baltimore And DC Managing Directors Share Regional Vision On Latest ‘The Monthly Blend Episode

Full disclosure. This editorial quotes Anthony Mellen of Next-backed Shulman Rogers, a client of ecosystem builder Technical.ly. Technical.ly CEO Christopher Wink appeared on Mylene's "The Monthly Blend" podcast, which is also mentioned in the report. This communication has no effect on this report.

TechStars, based in Boulder, Colorado, began as an experiment to see if 100 mentors could help 10 startups scale.

The experiment worked so well that Techstars was approached by other cities and global corporations like Disney and Microsoft to run similar programs. Since then, it has invested in more than 3,000 companies and has accelerators around the world. The DC and Baltimore areas have become major hubs for Techstars and have at least four accelerators: Future of Longevity and JP Morgan, which operate Techstars in Washington, D.C., as well as Techstars Equitech and Stanley + Techstars in Baltimore. Keith Kamhe and Adam Phillips lead the Techstars accelerators in DC and Baltimore, respectively, and are excited about the region's potential to support founders.

Here are some highlights that Kamhi and Phillips discussed on "The Monthly Mix," a DMV tech scene podcast hosted by Opus8 CEO Tian Wong and Next Shulman Rogers President Anthony Mellen:

Prior to joining Techstars, Kamhi was an experienced founder and angel investor. He founded the first venture fitness company in the 1990s and raised $50 million in several rounds. He launched his second startup focused on building high-tech gyms where kids can play and learn. He now runs two Techsters accelerators in DC and explained their structure to Van and Melina.

"Techstars is focused on a core of 10 to 12 companies and has a local team," says Kamhi. “The future of sustainability is national, and we can support founders in a very practical way. We have local firepower and a global network of investors, alumni, mentors and corporate partners.”

Kamhi had a great description of what Techstars accelerators are all about.

“If you were to pick a mythical creature right now, it wouldn't be a unicorn with butterflies. It will be a durable dragon that can last for 10 years,” Kamhi said.

To support these future dragons, Techstars helps founders “slow down”. During the first month of the accelerator, founders work on their vision and execution strategy in line with upcoming milestones such as fundraisers and pilots. This was followed by Mentor Madness, which was described as speed dating with mentors. The goal is to get lots of feedback on the strategy, such as whether customer segments make sense. Kamhi learned this from experience. he spent a year chasing a client who didn't have the budget to spend on his product. Three to six Mentor Madness mentors will be featured; These mentors then create startup advisory boards during the accelerator, helping founders meet KPIs and prepare for launch day.

DC Accelerator Pitches Like the Future of Longevity, as well as influential organizations like the National Institute on Aging and AARP, have identified a key weakness in the overall ecosystem: the drowning out of promising entrepreneurs.

"DC's weakness is talent retention," Kamhi said. "The founders leave if they don't find financing here."

Additionally, at Parkway in Baltimore, Phillips joined Techstars in 2022 and oversees the Equitech Accelerator (STANLEY + Leila Partridge, another Techstars executive). In partnership with UpSurge, Baltimore Techstars is working to make Baltimore the nation's first Equitech City. Phillips is excited to work with the founders to create a city of innovation that benefits everyone; something he and his colleagues believe can be made possible by the dynamics of SmallTimo.

"Baltimore is such a great little town, everybody knows each other and everybody's really nice to each other," Phillips said.

Learn more by watching the podcast below:

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