UC's Venture Lab partners with Flywheel for SustainableCincy cohort

Social entrepreneurs headed to 1819 to transform their missions into startups

By Stephen Kenney Email StephenEmail Stephen

3 minute read November 27, 2024 Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike

The University of Cincinnati's 1819 Venture Lab, in partnership with the Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, is helping five socially minded startups to grow.

The first-ever SustainableCincy collaboration between these two startup accelerator programs is intended to drive positive social impact and innovation throughout Greater Cincinnati.

As one of the Queen City's longest-running business accelerators, UC's Venture Lab is using its business acumen to support environmentally focused companies. The eight-week SustainableCincy program, taught at the 1819 Innovation Hub for the first time, will offer business coaching, pitch opportunities and entrepreneurial networking to Flywheel's newest cohort.

SustainableCincy startups

While Flywheel focuses entirely on social endeavors, UC's Venture Lab offers guidance to all kinds of startups. The two groups have an identical goal with their most recent cohort: crafting a more environmentally responsive region by supporting socially minded ventures.

The fall 2024 cohort, which launched on Sept. 23 and held a demo day on Nov. 19, is comprised of the following sustainability-focused startups:

• Ecoshell: A Covington, Kentucky-based company that aims to reduce plastic waste by using eggshell biocalcium as a feedstock for plastic packaging.
• Greenway Innovations: A Florence, Kentucky-based business that replaces single-use medical waste containers with durable ones that can be cleaned and returned for reuse.
• Mod Fab: A Dayton, Ohio-based company building low-cost, environmentally friendly homes out of repurposed shipping containers.
• Sunflower Fuels: A Lexington, Kentucky-based business developing eco-friendly aviation fuels and power sources out of miscanthus, also known as silvergrass.
• X-inator: A Cincinnati-based company developing high-energy-density battery cells to reduce emissions in the aviation sector.

The eight-week program offered by Flywheel and powered by UC's 1819 Innovation Hub helped guide entrepreneurs through some of the most rigorous and confusing steps of pioneering a business, from finding capital to adapting to change.

Venture Lab's formula for success

The Venture Lab has been shepherding entrepreneurs through the process of launching startups for years now - this is the 28th cohort that's come through the 1819 Innovation Hub. Still, the partnership with Flywheel is significant: it's a chance to positively impact Greater Cincinnati by investing in promising, sustainability-focused startups.

The ability to leverage the resources we have at 1819 for Flywheel has a multiplying effect to drive growth and impact.

Marvin Abrinica Director, Venture Lab

Marvin Abrinica, director of UC's Venture Lab, is excited about the ongoing partnership with Flywheel and SustainableCincy.

"The ability to leverage the resources we have at 1819 for Flywheel has a multiplying effect to drive growth and impact," he said.

Though the Venture Lab has been making an impact in Cincinnati for years, this cohort is different. Environmental sustainability has been thrust into the spotlight as climate change continues - now, the Venture Lab and Flywheel have teamed up with startup founders to respond with action.

Featured image at top: Presenter and attendee network at SustainableCincy's demo day. Photo/Alex Dudash

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