Flashstarts, Inc.

Flashstarts is an accelerator and micro-VC firm devoted to building the next generation of Cleveland companies. We focus on startups in healthcare IT, enterprise SaaS, data and analytics, AR/VR, IoT, and FinTech. Since 2015 Shannon has helped to raise 4 venture funds and implement 5 core programs:STARTUP ACCELERATOR: Flashstarts provides an initial investment up to $50,000, plus mentoring and coaching. The program culminates with Demo Day, attended by accredited investors, media, customers, and the community at large. Select companies are offered follow-on investment and all receive fundraising support. STARTMART CO-WORKING SPACE: Flashstarts established StartMart Cleveland in October of 2015 as a robust co-working ecosystem where startups have the flexibility to grow into their workspace, access a pool of shared resources, and be part of a fast-paced business community.LABS PROGRAM: Early-stage startups can join Flashstart Labs, a pre-accelerator program that launched in 2016, where teams receive 6 months of free open desk membership at STARTMART, plus access to bi-weekly mentoring, interns, and professional services to assist in startup creation. GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM: The Flashstarts GEIR program attracts and retains international talent in order to fuel economic development. This program establishes collaborative partnerships between universities, international entrepreneurs, and private equity. The GEIR compliments the accelerator by serving as the H-1B visa track for global entrepreneurs. INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: Each year Flashstarts employs 30-40 college interns who are selected from over 500 national resumes. Interns are matched with multiple startup teams from the Flashstarts Labs and Accelerator programs. Interns are trained in business modeling, and are given weekly projects.