DANDYLION | LAUNCHVT SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Welcome back to LaunchVT’s monthly content series where we shine the spotlight on past participants, coaches, and community partners from the LaunchVT family. This month, we heard from Ashley Farland, the founder of DandyLion — a lifestyle store focused on “original design, exceptional quality, and sustainability.” DandyLion has its own line of pillows and wooden serveware, while also featuring the work of other talented makers and artisans. Read on to hear what’s next for Ashley’s startup and what role the accelerator played in its growth. Veteran LaunchVT Coach, Dave Schmidt, also weighed in about his coaching experience and working with DandyLion.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I’ve been a professional chef for 15 years, the last five years of which I served as a private chef, flying back and forth every week between Vermont and New York City. That got old. I wanted to live in Vermont full time, and since private cheffing is not really an option here, I knew I needed to create a new path. So I turned back to my first love — textiles.

In 2021, I decided to create a lifestyle store, where I would create a large percentage of the products I sold, understand the craft behind the products, and honor the ethos of sustainability, reuse, and superb quality.

However, I’d never sewn before 2020! Minor detail. So I started taking private sewing lessons, learning precision and repetition. Since then, I’ve worked as a professional sewist at both Queen City Dry Goods and Fourbital Factory, manufacturing everything from shoes to clothing. I learned new tricks every day.

These experiences gave me the skills to begin making DandyLion pillows. I found sources for deadstock men’s suiting fabric and other premium-quality remnants, which allowed me to use fabric that otherwise would have been sent to landfills or stored in warehouses for years.

What year did you participate in LaunchVT and HOW do you think your business will change as a result of the accelerator?

I’m a 2023 cohort alum. LaunchVT came at exactly the right time for my business. The syllabus touched on everything from ESG compliance and finances to high-level vision pitches to investors.

What’s the most important thing you learned from LaunchVT?

Vermont has a huge number of resources to tap into. I was able to collaborate with many of these talented people and work closely with some of them today. LaunchVT also gave focus to the overarching vision for DandyLion. It helped me clarify the unique attributes of my business and prepared me for finding an investor to scale this company to the next level.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to launch or has recently launched their own start up?

First, understand your story. What makes you or your product unique to the market? Also understand that building a business from scratch is a slow burn, but worth the effort. Network with your community as much as possible and reach out to the state. Here in Vermont, we have an amazing network of talented individuals that truly care and will help guide you along the way. The Vermont Small Business Development Center is also an incredible organization and free of charge. Finally, if possible, try to get yourself positioned to be part of the cohort at LaunchVT. It was a gamechanger for me.

Please give an update of where your business is now and what’s next.

Since Launch VT, DandyLion has expanded its online webstore and opened a brick-and-mortar store for designers and homeowners to visit and experience the brand. Most recently, we secured an outside investor from a VC firm in San Antonio, Texas. Yeehaw! Stay tuned.

“…Building a business from scratch is a slow burn, but worth the effort.”

AND WHAT DID COACH Dave Schmidt HAVE TO SAY ABOUT Dandylion’S TIME IN THE LAUNCHVT ACCELERATOR?

I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to coach one of the LaunchVT cohorts. It takes an amazing amount of energy to turn an idea into a company and that is exactly what Ashley Farland has done with Dandylion. Like many founders, she has a blazing passion for what she is doing that is contagious and it’s always rewarding to help them build the toolset they’ll need to be successful. The LaunchVT program provides access to experts in multiple fields that is just priceless for these young companies that help eliminate many of the challenges that they’ll face.

PLINK! | LAUNCHVT SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Welcome back to LaunchVT’s monthly content series where we shine the spotlight on past participants, coaches, and community partners from the LaunchVT family. This month, we heard from Max Luthy of Plink! Max and co-founder Luke Montgomery-Smith took home the grand prize at Demo Night for their electrolyte-loaded “fruity, fizzy” drink tablet startup. The duo worked with LaunchVT superstar Coach Neil Bainton throughout the accelerator. We asked Max to answer some questions about Plink!’s experience participating in LaunchVT and what’s next for the business.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

In the middle of the night! I'd wanted to start a beverage company for a long time, but the waste of canned and bottled drinks was holding me back. I was clearly inspired by waterless companies in different industries like Blueland (homecare) and Lush (beauty). Because at 2am one night, I sat up in bed thinking about "a bath bomb you can drink called Plink!". That simple idea needed a lot of work, and once I was introduced to my co-founder Luke, he made that dream a delicious reality.

What year did you participate in LaunchVT and HOW do you think your business will change as a result of the accelerator?

We participated in 2023. The best part of LaunchVT was meeting the other founders, advisors, mentors, and sponsors — SO many inspirational people with such a wide array of skill sets, all contributing to your success. The accelerator timing meant we had to refine a new pitch for investors. It was during that process that we learned to embrace the fact that Plink! is surfing the wave of hydration products. Catching a wave is way easier than starting a revolution from scratch. Previously, we'd leaned into much more of our sustainable roots, but what is more important to consumers is what we do for them. Delivering great-tasting hydration - through electrolytes and increased water consumption - is what we now lead with. Fun, fruity, fizzy hydration. The sustainability is a bonus.

What’s the most important thing you learned from LaunchVT?

Entrepreneurs are often guilty of shiny object syndrome. We're attracted to new challenges. I think one of the biggest takeaways for us is to focus. It's hard not to want to do it all. But we need to win in a specific territory and get that part of the business self-sustaining before we go off innovating in different directions. It's hard enough to build a narrowly focused business with great fundamentals. There is no need to distract the team until that's all in place.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to launch or has recently launched their own start up?

We started working on this in 2020, a much frothier time when it felt like everybody was starting something and everything was getting funding. It's hard out there at the moment — as it should be. What investors are looking for now are profitable businesses that are growing, as opposed to a growth at all costs mindset. It seems so obvious. So, while this approach isn't possible for every category, I recommend running a small test of your idea, where folks are actually paying you money for your product or service, before getting too far down the rabbit hole of fundraising, strategizing for scale, brand building, etc. Prove out that people WANT your offering on a small scale and the ECONOMICS are there and you're in a really, really strong position. Also, reach out to me on LinkedIn if you want to chat.

Please give an update of where your business is now and what’s next.

The first half of the year for us was about proving in a specific market (Vermont) that people wanted our product and we were viable in brick and mortar retail. Thanks to our incredible early Vermont retailers of all different shapes and sizes, we have enough evidence to scale beyond this green state. And shout out to the wonderful humans who've been buying Plink! directly from our website and those local stores. We're now working with brokers, retailers, and distributors to rapidly expand in the Northeast and beyond. The trick for the next phase of our business is to expand at the right speed and not spread ourselves too thin into markets where Plink! collects dust on the shelf. It's a good problem to have.

“The best part of LaunchVT was meeting the other founders, advisors, mentors, and sponsors — SO many inspirational people with such a wide array of skill sets, all contributing to your success.”

BIVO | LAUNCHVT SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Welcome back to LaunchVT’s monthly content series where we shine the spotlight on past participants, coaches, and community partners from the LaunchVT family. This month, we heard from Carina Hamel, the co-founder of Bivo. As avid outdoor adventurers, Carina and her husband and Bivo co-founder, Robby Ringer, designed “a stainless steel performance water bottle with a flow rate that could keep up with [their] hydration needs.” We asked Carina to answer some questions about her experience participating in last year’s accelerator and what Bivo’s been up to since then. LaunchVT Coach, Neil Bainton, also shared his thoughts on working with Carina and Robby, and the accelerator as a whole.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

After our first child was born, we were cautious of feeding her out of plastic bottles. We were talking about alternatives while out on a cross country ski one day, and realized every time we exercised, we were drinking out of plastic ourselves. We went home, did a lot of research, and realized we found a hole in the market. We started designing the Bivo One within a couple weeks and launched 18 months later.

What year did you participate in LaunchVT and how has your business changed since then?

We were part of the 2022 LaunchVT Cohort. Since the program, we have launched two insulated versions of our bottle and hired one more employee. We also closed out our friends and family round. We are seeing strong growth and continue to make a dent in the cycling space!

What’s the most important thing you learned from LaunchVT?

Don't be afraid to be different and stick to our guts. We work really closely with our coach/mentor from LaunchVT, Neil Banton, who still pushes us in all the best ways to be different. Specifically in marketing communication, we have been working hard at being a stronger part of the community and focusing on the stories around cycling and adventures.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to launch or has recently launched their own start up?

Be patient, keep putting one foot in front of the other, and find people in your network who are also running their own business. Sometimes it's easy to think we are facing problems and other businesses aren't. Running a business is really hard and it turns out, other people think so too! It's so valuable to talk to other startups about what is working and what's not. We learn something new every time we have a conversation with another new brand.

Please give an update of where your business is now and what’s next.

We are in full cycling event mode now so will be part of a lot of expos and races in New England and beyond for the rest of the cycling season. Robby and I are getting in the car with our kids for the month of August to tour around the midwest and the Rockies for a variety of events, visiting retail shops and generally spreading the word about Bivo. When we get in front of cyclists, they want to use our bottles. We are focusing on finding new customers and spreading awareness about the brand. We love the cycling community so it will be a fun adventure!

“It's so valuable to talk to other startups about what is working and what's not. We learn something new every time we have a conversation with another new brand.”

AND WHAT DID COACH Neil Bainton HAVE TO SAY ABOUT Bivo’S TIME IN THE LAUNCHVT ACCELERATOR?

Working with Carina and Robbie at Bivo has been a pleasure. They already had a great idea and product in the market. From their previous startup experience in footwear, they’d gained a lot of experience on what does and doesn’t work.

I think the main piece I provided to the puzzle was focus. When we first started talking they were bouncing around a bit on where to focus their energies. The Bivo bottle is great and can be used in almost any hydration situation. That said, the real sweet spot is for avid cyclists and especially mountain bikers. My advice was to have a laser focus on this audience until Bivo is able to establish high levels of penetration.

When I advise a company I generally look at it as a long-term commitment. I’m still regularly in contact with Carina and Robbie and am rooting for their continued success.

Little Patakha | LAUNCHVT SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Welcome back to LaunchVT’s monthly content series where we shine the spotlight on past participants, coaches, and community partners from the LaunchVT family. This month, we heard from Akshata Nayak, the founder of 2022’s Audience Choice Award winning business, Little Patakha. Little Patakha is a childrens’ book, toy, and media company that aims to “spark curiosity and introduce kids to diverse worlds.” We asked Akshata to answer some questions about her experience participating in last year’s accelerator and what the future holds for her startup. LaunchVT Coach Nicci Micco also weighed in on what it was like being involved in the program last year.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

It started with a small idea.

I wanted my daughter, Ava, to learn my native south Indian language of Konkani. I decided to make a book for her since she loved to read. While customizing the book so both Ava and my husband could learn the language together, I realized I could use these ideas to create Indian language and cultural resources making them accessible to anyone who might be interested and so, the seed of Little Patakha was sown in 2020.

However, as the year wore on, the summer ushered in an incredible racial justice movement. It had its origins in horrific situations and the message was powerful and inspiring. Combined with a growing us-versus-them ideology that was spreading across the country, it made me think of my own experience as an immigrant and the mother of a little biracial girl. And I understood that Little Patakha had to be about more than just my own identity or culture.

If I was going to create media for children, I wanted Ava and others to accept the often differing and intersecting identities of those around them so they can be rooted in confidence while seeing others for their true selves. I looked for books, games, and other age-appropriate media that promote this and while I found a few wonderful books and toys, I didn’t find any that would grow with them and their abilities while staying focused on these ideals.

The research I came across stunned me!

Five years old. That is the age by when biases about race, gender and culture set in. If left unaddressed, these social biases can last into adulthood. But research also shows that inclusive messaging can change these attitudes in under a few weeks.

This information has been in the public forums for decades, and still we have more children’s books with animals as the main characters than all the minorities combined. And boys are twice as likely to be the heroes while girls are twice as likely to use magic to solve problems rather than their knowledge or physical abilities.

Having witnessed how deeply children search for characters and stories to identify with, I saw what was missing. And that is how Little Patakha became what it is today — a children’s brand that offers books, games, toys and other media to spark curiosity, celebrate differences and shatter stereotypes through diverse representation. We highlight shared experiences that exist no matter what you look like, where you come from, or who you are to create a deep sense of belonging and community, which is authentic inclusion.

What year did you participate in LaunchVT and how has your business changed since then?

Little Patakha was part of the 2022 LaunchVT cohort among a host of other wonderful businesses.

At the time, we had launched two Indian language learning books in 2021 to fit in with the original idea of Little Patakha but had recently pivoted to address the need for authentic inclusion with the development of Different Fits, a mix and match jigsaw puzzle that helps kids look beyond stereotypes when it comes to the professions they can choose when they grow up as well as Unstoppable Me affirmation cards that teach kids amazing things about themselves as well as how they interact with others. With both launches, we had found success in crowdfunding on the Kickstarter platform.

LaunchVT helped me understand how to talk about this new Little Patakha, who the customer was going to be and how I was going to get our products in their hands. It was an intense couple of months as I had to rethink everything I had planned up until that point and answer tough questions about the brand and product. From being a brand aimed at a niche segment of society, Little Patakha has broadened to offer products that are still missing from the market – those that use diverse characters to highlight our shared experiences rather than just focusing on individual identities.

What’s the most important thing you learned from LaunchVT?

In addition to the full redo of brand identity, customer profile and sales strategy, LaunchVT taught me two things:

• To truly believe in the name of the brand – Little Patakha, a small firecracker that can have a big impact. Being chosen for LaunchVT was exciting and scary at the same time. I saw the other companies that were in the cohort and felt small with a huge case of imposter syndrome. In my mind, obviously it was only a matter of time until people realized they had made a mistake in accepting my application.

Far from all this, I received nothing but encouragement from Lauren Bass, the Executive Director, Nicci Micco, my mentor, the advisors and others involved in the entire operation. People were willing to take meetings with me and answer the most basic of questions about brands, customers, accounts and so much more without making me feel judged in any way. And I soon realized that it didn’t matter that I was starting from scratch again; what did matter was where I was headed, and I could see my goal crystal clear.

• To ask for help – The step by step work I did at LaunchVT and witnessing the story come together gave me the confidence to reach out for help without letting the fear of rejection or disappointment stop me from making progress.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to launch or has recently launched their own start up?

First, have faith in your idea and yourself, and not necessarily always in that order.

Second, talk to people about your work and find ways to talk to those not involved with your industry. This is the only way you will learn how to put your story together in a simple manner without jargon. At the end of the day, your ability to tell your or your brand’s story is what will help you advance.

Third, ask. Whether it is a question or for help. More often than not, people are willing to help and if not directly, through connections they can make for you.

Fourth, a big part of running a business is about developing relationships. So be open, confident in what you know, curious in what you don’t and honest.

I would underline every single one of these in bold for women launching their businesses, especially women of color. Stand up, take up space and tell your story because every one of us doing this will help many others find their voices and confidence.

Please give an update of where your business is now and what’s next.

It has been an incredible year since LaunchVT. Little Patakha ended 2022 posting approximately 20% higher sales revenue than we projected and spent less money to get there! We are currently raising money for the business and have commitments from local funds. 2023 is the year we will build on our solid foundation to expand our wholesale reach across the country through sales reps and distributors. And most exciting of all is that we have 2 new products under development – both involved in making STEAM subjects more inclusive. I cannot wait to share this with all of you.

“The step-by-step work I did at LaunchVT and witnessing the story come together gave me the confidence to reach out for help without letting the fear of rejection or disappointment stop me from making progress.”

AND WHAT DID COACH Nicci Micco HAVE TO SAY ABOUT Little Patakha’S TIME IN THE LAUNCHVT ACCELERATOR?

Working closely with Akshata and Little Patakha as a coach for LaunchVT was a pleasure and a privilege. It was rewarding to support Akshata in areas where I had experience and insights to share—and just as fun playing matchmaker and connecting her to folks in my network who could inform her go-to-market strategies from a variety of perspectives.

I wasn’t surprised that Akshata took the Audience Choice Award on Demo Night, as she’s an incredibly dynamic storyteller with a mission—shattering stereotypes!—and a product line that the world needs. Of course, I was thrilled for her to receive this recognition, as the entire cohort was so impressive. I will be rooting for them all as they continue along on their entrepreneurial journeys. And I will be a fan and a supporter of LaunchVT for life.

Wasted* | LAUNCHVT SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Welcome to LaunchVT’s new content series where we’ll be shining the spotlight on some past participants, coaches, and community partners from the LaunchVT family! This month, we heard from our friends from the 2022 accelerator cohort, Wasted*. “Here to reimagine human waste,” the innovative portable sanitation startup took home last year’s grand prize at Demo Night. We asked the founders to answer some questions about their experience with LaunchVT and where their business is heading now. LaunchVT Coach Jim Feinson also weighed in on what it was like working with the Wasted* team last year.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

In August 2020, Thor bought a ticket to the Rich Earth Summit - hosted by the Rich Earth Institute - an event that brings together the global leaders in resource recovery from urine streams. 

During this summit, researchers showcased their urine alchemy work. Through various treatment trains, these scientists were successfully producing NPK fertilizers, building materials, struvite salts, and even systems to charge hydrogen fuel cells. It was during these presentations that he realized the true potential of a separated urine stream.

The combination of (1) a napkin sketch to invent a new source separation toilet and (2) the understanding that urine is a liquid gold with untapped potential, Wasted* was incorporated to source raw urine streams to upcycle the nutrients in a productive manner. The best way to do so was to integrate the technology into the portable sanitation industry.

The market opportunity that garnered investment was based on the foundation of building an economically viable company on the rental & servicing of portable toilets. With the revenue generation coming from the portable toilet rentals, Wasted* solved one of the largest scaling problems facing the circular sanitation economy: not being dependent on the sales of fertilizer to support the company.

What year did you participate in LaunchVT and how has your business changed since then?

2022 - A lot has changed since LaunchVT, yet we see this adaptation to what the market is saying as one of our founding team’s strengths as entrepreneurs. After piloting a dozen beta units equipped with the Wasted* source separation mechanism, it became clear that there was too large of a risk of mechanism failure to scale with that technology. We were forced to reconsider our product-market fit.

The result is we now have a more streamlined product offering where we source urine from standing users versus using the mechanism to source urine from all users. This small but significant shift has enabled us to reduce the costs of product development, refine our retro-fitting capacity, and look towards more off-the-shelf solutions that will get us into the market faster.

Wasted* is now on track to have nearly 200 portable restrooms - what we call Wasted*Stations - in the market by summer 2023.

What’s the most important thing you learned from LaunchVT?

Community is key.

Ever since the founding of Wasted* our team has faced society’s critical commentary around taboos, especially given the fact that we are in the sanitation industry. Yet, thanks to LaunchVT, we not only found massive support for our idea, we also converted that support into tangible traction (like sales) for further proving our idea. 

When your customers are some of your biggest supporters, you know that you are on the right track. LaunchVT validated Wasted* here in Vermont, and on those tough days, having a community of people that care is what will ensure success in the future. 

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to launch or has recently launched their own start up?

It is not easy, and that adversity is your friend, not your enemy.

Write down your ‘Why’s’ (Why do I want this idea to come to life? Why should I put my lifeforce into this idea?) so you can overcome the inevitable doubt that will stare at you. Share these ‘Why’s’ with the people around you, so they can support you in the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

Consider how your idea would sound in the form of a story. At the end of the day, people are story-driven creatures, so how can your idea become the story of change people will tell themselves?

Please give an update of where your business is now and what’s next.

We are preparing for a scaled deployment of our portable sanitation offerings into the Greater Burlington region on April 1, 2023. After this year, we will analyze the market data and prepare our plans for scaling beyond this first market.

We are actively hiring for various roles looking to expand our passionate team.

“When your customers are some of your biggest supporters, you know that you are on the right track. LaunchVT validated Wasted* here in Vermont, and on those tough days, having a community of people that care is what will ensure success in the future.”

And what did coach Jim Feinson have to say about WaSTED*’s time in the LaunchVT accelerator?

LaunchVT was a great experience all around.  Beyond just working on their pitch, the coaching and mentoring sessions got the team better aligned, helped them “battle test” their business plan, and gave them strong momentum for (successful!) fundraising. As a coach, I got an energy boost from working with this innovative, conquer-the-world team. The amazing collective creativity and ambition of the LaunchVT cohort makes me optimistic about the economic future of Vermont.