Upstart’s Venture Accelerator Announces Cohort 11

UpStart  – which partners with the Jewish community’s boldest leaders to expand the picture of Jewish life – has announced its latest cohort of their Venture Accelerator. Cohort 11 includes nine Jewish ventures solving some of the Jewish community’s most pressing challenges. These cutting-edge organizations were selected from a pool of more than 60 highly-qualified applicants, and represent a diverse array of initiatives building the Jewish community of tomorrow.

In 2018, UpStart announced new features to its flagship program. Cohort 11 will be the first cohort of the new, 18-month Venture Accelerator program (previously called the National Accelerator). The nine participating organizations will have access to UpStart’s substantial network, training, and resources to create and enact a sustainable plan for success. Each organization will also receive up to $100,000 in unrestricted funding to accelerate their growth.

Over the last two decades, the UpStart family of programs have served as a launch pad for nearly 90 Jewish ventures. With five hubs in the United States, and programs in nearly two dozen communities, UpStart provides the entrepreneurial tools and network that trailblazing leaders need to create change across the spectrum of Jewish life.

The organizations in Cohort 11 are:

BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy (Denver) – guides Jewish young adults on individualized journeys of self-discovery and healing through nature-based therapy

jGirls Magazine (New York) – amplifies the voices of Jewish teenage girls, cultivating the next generation of committed Jewish female leaders

Judaism Your Way (Denver) – offers innovative opportunities to for Jews and their loved ones to connect on their Jewish journeys

Museum of Jewish Montreal (Montreal) – provides an accessible gateway to learn about and interact with Montreal’s Jewish community

Sacred Spaces (Pittsburgh) – a cross-denominational initiative to address abuses of power in Jewish institutions

Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom (North Brunswick, NJ) – builds trust, respect, and relationships between North American Muslim and Jewish women

Tivnu: Building Justice (Portland, OR) – inspires teens and young adults through hands-on service, advocacy, education, and communal living in a pluralistic Jewish context

Tkiya (Brooklyn, NY) – enables people of all ages to find their unique connection to Jewish culture through participatory music experiences

Tzedek America (Los Angeles) – strengthens Jewish identity in young people through immersive social justice experiential education

For additional information, visit: upstartlab.org/cohort-11