Chris Whitman is the founder and CEO of Authorly, a web-based self-publishing platform that enables authors to create beautiful, interactive apps compatible with all modern mobile devices. Whitman formerly held a senior development role at a large Silicon Valley firm before leaving to pursue Authorly full time. Since joining StartupMinds, Whitman has hired and managed an international engineering team, developed a comprehensive marketing strategy, and is currently prepping for a launch in Spring 2013 at a major technology conference.
Jordan Michaels
Jordan Michaels is the co-founder and CEO of Ringadoc, a health tech company that connects patients to doctors anytime, anywhere, through smartphone technology. The press and investment community have hailed Ringadoc as the future of doctor-patient communication. A former pre-med student at the University of Southern California, Michaels has piloted Ringadoc from concept to reality. Recently securing a round of funding from Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, Ringadoc is now partnered with Ryan Howard's Practice Fusion and operates out of their San Francisco-based headquarters.
Stacy Stubblefield & Darren Berkovitz
Stacy Stubblefield and Darren Berkovitz are the co-founders of internet security giant TeleSign. Now serving as VP of Product Strategy and VP of Business development respectively, Stacy and Darren turned the concept of using telephone authentication to protect internet users’ identities into an enterprise-grade system that has been adopted by the world’s leading web companies. TeleSign was recently ranked the 15th Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 and its patented technology is currently being used to protect the majority of the world's top ten internet properties, subsequently protecting the identities of billions of internet users.
Startup Minds is a new kind of seed fund and startup accelerator. We have our own in-office startups, so we actually practice what we preach. We know startups are most productive when they can spend their time developing their own ideas, and therefore we don’t have a strict class-and-curriculum approach. Schedule a meeting with us to see our beautiful office anytime: tell us whether your idea needs $30k in seed funding or $200k, and tap our in-house devs, UX designers, CFO, marketing experts, or QA product gurus on the shoulder if you need a second opinion, want to know the tax consequences of setting up an employee pool for your startup, or want to grab a drink after work.
Why are we so flexible? Not (only) because we’re super nice people. We understand that, these days it’s easier than ever to start a company, and the balance of power has largely shifted from investors to hackers. We believe in empowering, not controlling.
TeleSign, a market leader in Internet and Cloud fraud prevention and web-based user identification, access, and authentication services, today announced it ranked 15th on the Deloitte 2011 Technology Fast 500™ ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America (…) Read more →
Ringadoc lets you pay a flat fee to instantly talk to a real doctor at any hour of the day, and its big vision to be “the frontline of primary care” has landed it a $750,000 seed round led by FF Angel. So if its 2am and you’ve got some weird rash, you can call Ringadoc’s toll-free number, record a quick description of your condition, and get matched with a doctor who’ll give you medical advice or a diagnosis (…) Read more →
Jordan Michaels, 25, is the founder and chief executive officer of Ringadoc. It is the quaint name of a start-up that connects patients with doctors over the phone or online. Michaels’ story will resonate with students struggling to decide whether to pursue their goal of becoming doctors, but are turned off by the health care environment. Here, Michaels explains why he decided to drop medical school, and become a health technology entrepreneur instead (…) Read more →
TeleSign, a market leader in Internet fraud prevention, and Intelligent Authentication, today announced it has been selected as a finalist for Red Herring’s Top 100 Americas award, a prestigious list honoring the year’s most promising private technology ventures from the North American business region (…) Read more →
Startup Minds is an accelerator program that launched earlier this year. It was founded by the Gonen brothers and their father to take a different approach than many other similar programs. Their model is flexible with funding and timing. Startups here don’t face a fixed amount of investment or a graduation date. The support each company receives is based on its individual needs.
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PowToon, an animation platform that lets anyone build marketing videos on the fly, is announcing it has raised $600,000 in outside funding. The investment doesn’t come from traditional VC backing, but rather from Startup Minds, a newer L.A.-based accelerator with a non-traditional strategy where investments can range anywhere from $25,000 up to $600,000. The accelerator also doesn’t have time limits, and the amount of outside involvement is up to the company funded. (…) Read more →
How many times have you gone to the doctor’s office, only to be told within the first 10 seconds that the solution to your ailment is rest and a round of antibiotics? You probably wonder why you needed to bother going to the office at all; the doctor could have just as easily diagnosed you over the phone. Ringadoc, a San Francisco-based startup that just raised $750,000 in a seed round of funding led by Founders Fund and Peter Thiel, lets a bevy of remote doctors diagnose (…) Read more →
Internet entrepreneurs have brought new meaning to the phrase "house calls." Online companies with names such as "MDLiveCare" and "RingADoc" are diagnosing and treating common conditions such as allergies and the flu over the Internet or on the phone, forcing state regulators to revisit decade-old rules about what constitutes a doctor/patient relationship (…) Read more →
TeleSign, a market leader in Internet fraud prevention and intelligent authentication, announced today that they are working with Intel Corporation to pair the security provided by Intel Identity Protection Technology (Intel IPT) and TeleSign Two-Factor Authentication. Through their collaboration, Intel and TeleSign will offer the highest level of security and convenience to users, improving the (…) Read more →
The Signage Network specializes in non-traditional outdoor advertising We offer advertisers wholesale prices on the most effective advertising platforms available. In the world of cost-effective advertising, there simply isn’t anything better than truck advertisements and parking lot wallboards. We negotiate directly with trucks and property owners and seamlessly produce and install your advertising campaign according to your specifications. We can guarantee you unmatched quality, industry-low pricing, and advertising markets selected by you, the advertiser.
Authorly
Authorly is a web-based self-publishing platform for independent authors to create beautiful, interactive apps compatible with all modern mobile devices. With Authorly, independent authors no longer have to hire pricey developers to launch their own dynamic mobile apps. Bringing your creative work to new audiences has never been easier. Your imagination is the limit with endless combinations of animations, effects, interactions and more. Authorly seeks to become the Powerpoint for childrens apps.
Startup Agency connects startups with influencers, establishing valuable business partnerships. Led by former William Morris Endeavor staff, we are a new kind of talent agency that connects the best and brightest tech entrepreneurs with the most influential public figures in our world. With our diverse network of contacts, Startup Agency seeks to match shared passions from two very different and powerful worlds with the ultimate goal of creating significant value on both ends.
Global counterfeiting, piracy of goods, and product diversion is estimated to cost brands over $1.5 trillion dollars in2012. The industry has been fighting this problem from behind, always trying to catch-up to the source. Brand Reporter is dedicated to building the most engaging technology to fight brand and intellectual property abuse. Our mission is to deliver actionable, crowd-sourced counterfeit and product diversion information through an intuitive mobile application to a powerful and secure platform. Brand Reporter's patent-pending, best of breed technology brings an innovative real-time information discovery, management, and public awareness solution to brands and their consumers.
Every second, of every day, TeleSign protects the world's largest Internet and Cloud properties against fraud. TeleSign Intelligent Authentication provides an easy-to-implement and powerful method for identifying and substantially reducing online fraud and spam using the most widely deployed technology — a user’s phone.
TeleSign protects 2.5 billion downstream accounts in more than 200 countries, offering localization services in 87 languages. In 2011, TeleSign ranked #15 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and was named Visionary in Gartner’s User Authentication Magic Quadrant.
HangPay is the no hassle way to charge your clients via Google Hangouts. Using a laptop and web camera, you can now conduct paid, live video sessions in Google Hangouts. You set your rates, HangPay ensures you get paid for your time during your video sessions. No need to nag clients to pay up or waste time creating invoices. All you need is a computer, webcam, internet connection and your expertise.
Badger
Badger allows you to instantly set up and manage your servers in the simplest way possible. Operating on Linux and Unix based servers, the Badger framework maintains the development packages and services automatically and secures the server with a firewall. Badger is easy to use, fast, customizable and incorporates a configuration file for customizations and plugins. Additional features include automatic installation and securing of databases, ssl certifications and multiple user capabilities.
Badger gives the option of a server that can monitor other servers in real-time, checking if services are running and notifying admin via email if systems are failing. A badger API is available allowing additional remote deployment and automation to be created for deployment and admin through UI or custom applications.
Ringadoc offers instant audio and video consultations with doctors over any basic phone, smartphone, or computer. The company’s proprietary technology provides patients the easiest and most convenient way to access doctors and empowers physicians with the easiest and most convenient way to provide care to patients. Ringadoc has thousands of registered members already being connected to doctors every day. With an average wait time of less than three minutes, the company offers the fastest connection to a licensed doctor on the market. Ringadoc is led by Co-Founder and CEO Jordan Michaels, and by a board of directors that includes healthcare innovator Ryan Howard, Founder and CEO of Practice Fusion. Most recently, Ringadoc secured $750,000 in seed funding in a round led by Peter Thiel’s Founder’s Fund and now operates out of offices in San Francisco in partnership with Practice Fusion.
Call for Therapy opens access to mental healthcare by linking mental health patients with therapists in real-time, and through iPhone video session. Powered by our groundbreaking TeleThrive technology, Call for Therapy brings a virtual couch to anyone with a telephone. There are no call backs, call centers, or live operators. The first ten minutes of each session with a psychiatrist or psych
ologist are free. Patients can also speak with up to five different therapists before choosing one for a complete and thorough consultation.
Call for Therapy connects patients to licensed psychiatrists and psychologists, who possess years of experience in general psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy. Call for Therapy is ideal for people who may not easily be able to visit a mental health professional in person or those who need assistance without the delays of scheduling.
FixUp is the world's first expert marketplace that allows users to connect instantly to experts through iPhone video. Empowering consumers to fix anything fast, the iOS app is designed to eliminate the often times unnecessary, inconvenient, and overpriced house-calls required for minor home and car repairs. Replacing the in-person consultation visit with a quick and instant video conference, users are able to show experts exactly what is wrong and gain the necessary advice to solve their problems in the most efficient way possible, all for a reasonable per-minute rate. At the consumer’s discretion, and for those more complicated jobs, FixUp’s platform also allows for a traditional in-person scheduling, enabling the consumer to already order the proper parts, and allowing for the expert to bid on the job before that in-person visit.
DoMyStuff.com provides a marketplace where anyone looking to outsource chores, errands, or projects can locate (and do business with) responsible and experienced local help.
At DoMyStuff.com, you can have all your chores completed by SOMEONE ELSE - all from the comfort of your own home. If you often find yourself too busy to enjoy life, consider hiring a qualified person (or business) to give you some much-needed relief.
Since its inception in 2007, DoMyStuff has gained nationwide press in outlets such as ABC, CBS, CNN, NPR, Fox TV, KCAL 9, Good Morning America, CNET, Esquire, and The Hartford Courant.
Built to address prime healthcare problems such as physician shortage, steep costs, and delayed access to treatment, TeleThrive is a software platform that instantly connects patients to physicians. Consultations can take place wherever and whenever doctors and patients have access to a telephone.
TeleThrive accommodates people’s health needs beyond the 9-5 weekday hours of most medical institutions. The platform can help delivery networks to establish virtual health centers, cut costs and provide access to a superior healthcare network for health plans, give employees and clients more healthcare options, and drive traffic to online communities.
RingSanta gives children the chance to personally speak with the beloved bearded man about their Christmas wish lists. All callers will receive emailed recordings of their conversations with Santa Claus. Instead of sitting on a stranger’s lap at a mall or even leaving cookies and milk out to spoil next to a handwritten wish list, RingSanta offers a fun, safe way to give children the gift of Christmas.
We’re a rare breed of startup accelerator that might be mistaken for a corporate fixture. Peppered with plants so vibrant they seem Photoshopped into existence, an authentic plane fuselage and spectacular wings interspersed with work space, our West Hollywood Penthouse office doesn’t quite fit the stereotype of the sleepless computerized warehouse. But that’s how—and why—we work.
Both of our sister operations, Startup Minds and Curious Minds, shuttle with ease between snappy casual and serious outfit. We’re young-at-heart, hypnotic hipsters who rub elbows with celebrities, but we also have a penchant for practicality. Our histories range from stuffily schooled to self-educated, homegrown to frequent flier, modeling to model-making to money-making models.
What we all have in common is our instinctual hunger for adventure and a coding thrill. We’re always on the hunt for the next big thing. Some call it foresight. We chalk it up to an uncanny talent for finding the right ideas and, more importantly, the right people.
We consider our employees not so much as investments as an extended family. Together, we frequent the opera and the outdoor ice rink that annually blesses sunny southern California with its presence. Barneys Beanery Fridays follow Thursday Basketball (sometimes) follow Beach Day Tuesdays. We exchange dishes at restaurants, hop through bars, and conduct the occasional companywide contest to see who will nab the last poppy seed bagel with lox cream cheese. In fact, it’s precisely because colleague camaraderie stimulates our communication faculties that we’ve been able to create communication technologies that continue to succeed.
Startup Minds invests in and accelerates innovative ideas and in supreme innovators, particularly in those who dream in code.
