MEET THE COHORT:

Our Accelerator is rooted in the belief that investing in local businesses isn’t just smart economics—it’s an act of community care. This inaugural cohort empowers underinvested creators in Boston with the tools, capital, and community needed to thrive across tech, media, the arts, and beyond.

Launched in partnership with the Boston XChange and Jrue and Lauren Holiday Fund, the Accelerator is backed by a growing ecosystem of champions—including the MIT Martin Trust Center, Harvard Business School, and Suffolk Community College—who believe that creativity fuels wealth and ownership drives equity.

We don’t just support creators—we layer in the resources they need at every step: access to capital, strategic guidance, expert champions, and creative infrastructure. And the impact is already real—businesses are growing, audiences are expanding, and momentum is building.

Thousands applied. Hundreds were interviewed. Ten visionary creators were chosen to lead the way. This is what investing in our collective power looks like.

THE LITTLE COCOA BEAN COMPANY | ANAWAN STUDIOS | DORCHESTER ART PROJECT | RIVET | PYNRS | FUTURE MASTERS CHESS ACADEMY | UVIDA SHOP | CROWN LEGENDS | EVERYBODY GOTTA EAT | MELANIN HAIRCARE

The Little Cocoa Bean Company

Rooted food, for every little one

FOOD & WELLNESS
CULTURAL NUTRITION
FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Little Cocoa Bean Co. is transforming how families nourish their children—offering healthy, culturally relevant meals, snacks, and experiences for young kids and caregivers. With its new Tot Café opening inside the Boston Children’s Museum, LCBC is expanding its reach and deepening its joyful, mission-first impact.

By centering culture, care, and convenience, LCBC is helping kids build healthy habits—and heritage—early on.

Tracy Skelly
Founder & CEO
Educator, Amazon alum, Mom of 2

“Food is love, culture, and wellness. And every kid deserves all three.”

Anawan Studios

Where storytelling meets infrastructure

MEDIA & PRODUCTION
CREATIVE ECONOMY
STUDIO DEVELOPMENT

Anawan Studios is a full-service production company based in Brockton, MA. With clients like National Park Foundation, MBTA, and Mass General—and several original IP projects in development—Anawan is redefining what it means to produce content with cultural fluency and commercial scale. As demand for authentic storytelling rises across film, streaming, and branded media, Anawan is building the creative infrastructure to meet it.

Rui Lopes
Founder & Creative Director
Filmmaker, Storyteller, Infrastructure-Builder

“We’re not just telling stories. We’re building the systems to own them.”

Dorchester Art Project

Infrastructure for creativity—with ownership at the center

CREATIVE ECONOMY
ART COOPERATIVE
COMMUNITY CULTURE

Dorchester Art Project is a worker-owned creative cooperative helping artists turn passion into profession. From affordable studios to public art commissions, DAP equips local talent with the tools, space, and support to build sustainable careers. With over 50 artist members and a growing client list, DAP is reimagining what Boston’s creative economy can be: equitable, independent, and artist-led.

Amyas Mcknight, Community Experience And Cultural Space Designer

HAAWWS, Chief Visionary Officer

Robert Kelley-Morgan, Chief of Growth

Lina M. Cañon, Purpose and Profit Architect

Stephen La Fume, Culture, Equity and Value Practitioner

Adrian Roman, Chief Governance Officer

“This is more than a cooperative—it’s a blueprint for creative power and permanence.”

Rivet

Infrastructure for creativity—with ownership at the center

ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE
COMMERCE ENABLEMENT
CREATOR ECONOMY
SAAS PLATFORM
AI MARKETING INFRASTRUCTURE

Founded by a frustrated creator and all-MIT engineering team, Rivet helps creators and businesses turn fragmented audiences into found revenue and scale. The AI-powered platform tracks and connects fan data across all channels—and is the end-to-end execution platform for smarter marketing, better monetization, and consistent revenue growth across all channels from one place. As social commerce booms, Rivet is positioning itself as the default infrastructure layer for monetizing and growing modern fandom for businesses.

Anj Fayemi
Co-Founder & CEO
Artist, Engineer, Creative Systems Builder

“Rivet isn’t just for artists—it’s the future of creativity and commerce for modern businesses.”

PYNRS

Redefining running through culture, community, and ownership

RUNNING APPAREL
CULTURE-FIRST BUSINESS

PYNRS is a streetwear-inspired performance brand built by and for runners who’ve never felt seen by the industry. With bold design, technical quality, and deep roots in community, PYNRS is reshaping the future of running apparel. Founded by Sid Baptista in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, PYNRS blends product, storytelling, and community into a multi-stream brand platform.

Sid Baptista
Founder & CEO
Runner, Cultural Architect, Community Builder

“Our communities started the wave. Now we’re turning that momentum into shared ownership for the people who made it real.”

Future Masters Chess Academy (FMCA)

Building minds and confidence—one move at a time

YOUTH EDUCATION
CHESS & WELLNESS
AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT

Founded by U.S. Chess Champion Lawyer Times, FMCA offers in-person and online chess programs that help students master chess and life. FMCA is building a premier chess ecosystem for families seeking focused, values-driven enrichment. Rooted in access, focus, and discipline, FMCA is helping families raise strategic thinkers—and shaping the next generation of confident learners.

Lawyer Times
Founder & Lead Coach
U.S. Chess Master & Champion

“At FMCA, we’re building champions in chess—and in life.”

Uvida Shop

Zero Waste Retail, Sustainable products for the future

ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
SUSTAINABLE RETAIL

Founded by climate advocate Maria Vasco, Uvida is Boston’s first and only Zero-Waste store—offering refillable goods, low-waste home essentials, and sustainably sourced personal care items. Maria turned a college grant into a retail movement—and is now expanding from brick-and-mortar to private-label product development and E-commerce growth that empowers customers everywhere to live waste-free. Uvida is proof that circular retail can be profitable, scalable and deeply community centered —and that climate-conscious founders can lead the way.

Maria Vasco
Founder & CEO
Latina Climate Champion & Sustainable Retail Pioneer

“This isn’t just a store. It’s a statement—about how we care for ourselves, each other, and the planet.”

Crown Legends

Defining headwear culture—one crown at a time

HEADWEAR & FASHION
CULTURAL RETAIL

Crown Legends is Boston’s only New Era–licensed hat boutique, using storytelling and design to crown the culture. Crown Legends is redefining headwear culture in New England—infusing identity, history, and design integrity into every collection. Through systematized e-commerce, capsule collections, and deeper community engagement, Crown Legends is laying the foundation to become an iconic name in American headwear and lifestyle fashion.

Al Obijo
Co-Founder, Designer & Cultural Curator

Emmanuel “Manny” Gonzalez
Co-Founder, Retail & Brand Ops Lead

“From Boston to beyond, we’re creating headwear with legacy stitched in.”

Everybody Gotta Eat (EGE)

Catering culture—with soul, scale, and purpose

Everybody Gotta Eat is more than a food business—it’s a cultural movement. Founded by Emmanuel Mervil, EGE blends soul food and Afro-Caribbean flavors with meaningful experiences that bring people together. From pop-ups to shelter contracts to dinner parties, EGE delivers more than meals—it delivers connection & community.

Emmanuel Mervil
Founder & Chef
Culture Leader. Father. Food Creative.

“We’re not just feeding people—we’re building something bigger. And everyone’s invited to the table.”

FOOD EXPERIENCE
HOSPITALITY PLATFORM
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN BRAND

Melanin Haircare

Clean haircare that elevates afro-textured hair without compromise.

BEAUTY & WELLNESS
BLACK FEMALE FOUNDERS
CULTURE-FIRST HAIRCARE

Founded by Whitney White and Taffeta White, Melanin Haircare is the natural, non-toxic brand trusted by over 40,000 loyal customers and 2 million online followers. Built on transparency, community, and award-winning formulas, Melanin Haircare has carved a lane of its own—proving that clean beauty can be inclusive and effective.

Whitney White & Taffeta White
Co-Founders
Industry Innovators, Cultural Beauty Advocates

“We created the products we needed. And now millions trust us to deliver them.”