Wharton Magazine
Watchlist: Micro-Internships, Fashion for Kids, and Fintech for Africa 14
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

Parker Dewey

Parker Dewey is in the business of helping to jump-start careers — and making it easier for companies and job candidates to connect before making long-term commitments. The idea came to founder Jeffrey Moss WG04 during his roughly 20 years as a private equity investor, when he observed students struggling to secure their first jobs because they didn’t have the right academic records or personal connections. His vision: help students and recent graduates get those gigs by exposing them earlier to employers (and vice versa) through micro-internships. Here’s how it works: Companies post short-term paid assignments to Parker Dewey, and candidates apply to complete them. Through the projects, young workers take on roles that could lead to internships or, better yet, full-time positions.

Watchlist: Micro-Internships, Fashion for Kids, and Fintech for Africa 13
News
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

Primary

Children can be quite particular about their daily wardrobes — acceptable outfits range from “only orange” to “not fancy” to “with my rain boots” — and comfort is a prerequisite. Primary, an online children’s clothing brand, delivers gender-neutral styles in a rainbow of colors and patterns made from extraordinarily soft fabric. Mothers themselves, co-founders Christina Carbonell W95 and Galyn Bernard pride themselves on keeping costs low, quality high, and customer service exceptional. Primary has raised a total of $47.9 million in funding, including a Series C round that will enable the founders to expand into new categories, including adults. Getting out the door has gotten much easier.

Watchlist: Micro-Internships, Fashion for Kids, and Fintech for Africa 10
News
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

D’vash Organics

Syrup made from dates has long been a cooking staple in the Middle East and Africa, but the sweetener — an alternative to sugar and honey — has yet to catch on in the U.S. Brian Finkel W10, however, sees the potential. He fell in love with the syrup overseas and met D’vash Organics co-founder David Czinn during a gap year in Jerusalem. Now, the duo sells date nectar and syrup (plus a sweet-potato nectar) that are both vegan and non-genetically modified. Founded less than five years ago, the company has made significant inroads, with shelf space at major grocers that include Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Sprouts, as well as online at Amazon.

Penn shield.
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

Drip Capital

Former Wharton roommates Pushkar Mukewar WG11 and Neil Kothari WG11 founded trade-finance firm Drip Capital to give small and midsize exporters in developing markets better access to much-needed debt financing. Access to working capital has long been a problem for exporters, since many buyers pay them for orders well after they’re signed — but exporters need the money up front for the assignments. They also typically have trouble working with banks, which are often hesitant to dole out capital to smaller exporters. That’s where Drip comes in, providing an essential resource that otherwise wouldn’t be available to many of the more than 400 exporters across 70-plus cities who have partnered with the company.

Watchlist: Micro-Internships, Fashion for Kids, and Fintech for Africa 1
News
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

Verishop

A place to discover brands: That’s the idea behind Verishop, an online-shopping site that carefully vets the high-quality fashion, beauty, and home goods it carries. Co-founded by couple Imran and Cate Khan WG05 (a former Snap executive and retail leader at Amazon, respectively), the company offers an alternative to sites that allow third-party sellers and questionable products on their platforms. (Also on offer: 24/7 customer service and free one-day shipping and returns.) Verishop’s retail team has certified established brands such as Staub, Free People, and Harry’s, as well as lesser-known — but still thoroughly vetted — labels the company is confident consumers will love.

Watchlist: Micro-Internships, Fashion for Kids, and Fintech for Africa 7
News
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

MedCrypt

After watching an episode of Homeland in which the vice president’s pacemaker was hacked by terrorists, Mike Kijewski LPS10 WG12 wondered: Could that really happen? The frightening answer was yes. Cyberattacks on health care are expected to exceed those in any other industry, and the FDA has issued security guidelines for medical devices. Enter MedCrypt, Kijewski’s startup that counts the Wharton Alumni Angels as one of its earliest investors. To ensure medical technology isn’t susceptible to such sabotage, MedCrypt works with device makers early on to build in security features such as data encryption and attack-detection capabilities.

Watchlist: Micro-Internships, Fashion for Kids, and Fintech for Africa 5
News
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

Billie

The message from Billie is clear: Women should be able to shave — or not shave — as they please. The subscription-based grooming startup uses bold ads that show women’s body hair and a campaign, #projectbodyhair, that encourages them to post their own fuzzy pictures online. Launched by co-founders Jason Bravman WG16 and Georgina Gooley, the body-care brand trumpets its efforts to trim the pink tax — that extra money women pay for specific products and services, including razors. Among those on board with Billie’s mission: Procter & Gamble, which acquired the business in January.

Jay Desai
News
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

PatientPing

Considering how hyper-connected many aspects of life in the U.S. are, it’s surprising that health-care providers can have massive blind spots when it comes to their patients’ visits to other practices. This not only causes inefficiencies; it can risk patient health. Jay Desai WG11 founded PatientPing to better integrate communities of care by sharing “pings” and “stories” with health-care systems to let providers know where patients are and where they’ve been. Named by Business Insider as a startup set to boom in 2020, PatientPing has already raised more than $100 million in funding, including from Google Ventures.

Watchlist: Micro-Internships, Fashion for Kids, and Fintech for Africa 2
News
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Entrepreneurship
Spring/Summer 2020

Inficold

Food waste is a major global issue: Each year, a third of the world’s food production doesn’t land on anyone’s table. In India, a lack of cold-storage facilities on farms contributes to more than 18 percent of fruit, vegetables, and milk spoiling before they can be sold — resulting in huge losses for farmers. Himanshu Pokharna WG06, who has a doctorate in nuclear engineering, and Nitin Goel, with a PhD focus on solar energy, developed a solution. Inficold’s solar-powered technology makes ice to store as a low-cost, environmentally friendly coolant. Simple to hook up to farms’ existing cooling hardware, Inficold aims to transform Indian agriculture’s cold chain.

Car and buildings shaped like drink glasses
News
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Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2019

Qorum

Andrew Pietra WG17 knows firsthand the devastating effects of intoxication behind the wheel. The alumnus, who lost three close friends to drinking and driving, now leads Qorum to help tackle this serious problem. Kick-started at Wharton, the company won best pitch at the 2016 Wharton Business Plan Competition (now the Penn Wharton Startup Challenge). Think of Qorum as a designated driver for the modern age: At its core, it offers free Uber rides from bars and restaurants by partnering with alcohol brands that sponsor the trips. Qorum currently provides services—which also include in-app bar tabs, discounts, and location recommendations—at more than 100 participating venues in Southern California, ensuring that a safe ride on a night out is just a click away.

Jarrid Tingle
News
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Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2019

Watchlist: Stylish Cookware, Impact Investing, and an Inspirational Podcast

New and notable ventures from Wharton alumni

Sierra Tishgart and Maddy Moelis
News
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Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2019

Great Jones

When James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic Sierra Tishgart couldn’t find a home cookware brand to both inspire her inner chef and satisfy her eye for style, she invited childhood friend Maddy Moelis W12 over for dinner to help figure out a solution. Soon after, the pair founded Great Jones, named in homage to star cookbook editor Judith Jones. Tishgart, product and marketing lead, interviewed chefs and food writers to design the perfect pan; Moelis, who worked for millennial-friendly wedding registry Zola, focuses on operations and finance. By 2018, Great Jones had raised more than $3 million, including from VC General Catalyst and Momofuku’s David Chang. Their mini nonstick skillet sold out in weeks. In an estimated $17 billion total market, Great Jones is already cooking up a storm.

Jarrid Tingle
News
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Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2019

Harlem Capital Partners

All entrepreneurs, no matter their race, gender, or cultural background, should have an equal shot at starting their own businesses. However, the huge venture capital funding gap greatly disadvantages underrepresented groups. Jarrid Tingle W13 and his team at Harlem Capital Partners have set out to tackle this problem by pledging to invest in 1,000 diverse founders in the United States over the next 20 years. This early-stage venture capital firm based in New York is planning to raise $1 billion to achieve this goal and fund minority and women-led startups with disruptive business models. The company recently received a $10 million commitment from the Consumer Technology Association, which shares its passion for diversity in entrepreneurship.

Leeatt Rothschild
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Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2019

Packed With Purpose

As a former Peace Corps volunteer and social impact consultant, Leeatt Rothschild G10 WG10 found it only natural to start a company dedicated to creating positive change. Her strong connections to various social organizations motivated her to upgrade typical corporate gifts to convey greater meaning. In 2016, Rothschild launched Packed with Purpose, a specialty gifting company whose products are crafted by vendors that prioritize social impact—or, in her words, “Purposeful Purveyors.” Along with providing high-quality gifts, such as gourmet snacks, travel accessories, and handmade journals, Packed with Purpose allows companies to express their commitment to social causes such as supporting workers with disabilities, youth development, and environmental sustainability.

Nurse headshot on a tablet
News
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Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2019

Incredible Health

Applying for jobs is a daunting task in any field, but Incredible Health is changing the game for some members of the health-care community. Led by Iman Abuzeid WG13, the company connects nurses and hospitals in a process it touts as more efficient than job boards and cheaper than recruiting through traditional agencies. Here’s how it works: Nurses fill out a profile with information such as their education level, experience, and preferred cities. The company then matches hospitals on the platform with top candidates in its pool. Employers reach out to the job seekers they’re interested in—and if all goes well, there’s a match made in health-care heaven.

Shereen Kassam
News
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Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2019

Creative Breakthrough

“Jump-start your creative career”: That's the tagline for Creative Breakthrough, a new podcast by Shereen Kassam WG12 in which the stand-up comedian talks about turning passions into professions in areas such as film, TV, music, and literature. Guests so far have included New York Times best-selling author Jasmin Darznik, radio personality Laura Diaz, and Tina Mabry, a producer on Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar. Topics in the show’s first season run the gamut from time management to effective self-promotion, and most of the episodes total less than 45 minutes, giving listeners quick hits of inspiration for light-bulb moments.