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Lightship Foundation

@lightship.foundation

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If you’re building, you belong here. Helping founders grow, scale, and thrive. $750M+ raised by our community. 🌊

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The Faces Behind the Mission 💛

The #LightshipFoundation team is dedicated to serving and empowering startup founders from ecosystem to ecosystem! 🚀

We can't wait to connect at one of our upcoming programs such as #LightshipBootcamp or @blacktechweek! 🫱🏽‍🫲🏾

#startups #cincinnati #nonprofits #blacktechweek #founders #entrepreneurs #candicematthewsbrackeen #btwcinnati #ohio #community #techinnovation by @lightship.foundation

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10 months ago

Cleveland entrepreneurs, this one is for you. 🚀

Lightship Bootcamp is coming to Cleveland, OH, from August 17–19, and spots are limited.

This free 3-day experience is designed for entrepreneurs ready to grow with greater clarity, stronger systems, and a real plan.

If you’re trying to figure out:
• How to grow with or without funding 💰
• Which AI tools are actually worth your time 🤖
• How to attract more customers 📈
• How to build systems that scale ⚙️

Lightship Bootcamp was built for you.

You’ll walk away with:
✅ A real financial model
✅ AI tools to save time and reduce costs
✅ Clear customer and growth strategies
✅ Systems to streamline your business
✅ Legal guidance and funding pathways

Plus, through our partnership with JobsOhio, eligible founders can access a pathway to a **$50K non-dilutive grant**. 💸

⚠️ Only a few spots remain.

Apply now: lightship.foundation/bootcamp/interest by @lightship.foundation

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4 months ago

Four years later, and we’re still building.

Happy Lightship Foundation Day. 🖤

Thank you to the City of Cincinnati and Mayor Aftab Pureval for proclaiming July 21 as Lightship Foundation Day during the inaugural Black Tech Week in 2022.

And thank you to our founders, partners, volunteers, sponsors, and community. Your belief, support, and commitment are what make this work possible. ✨

#LightshipFoundation #BlackTechWeek by @lightship.foundation

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4 days ago

Proud to help bring this CMC forum together!

Racing to Build a New Midwest is about more than startups, venture, and innovation. It is about who gets to build, who gets funded, who gets ownership, and whether Midwest cities can collaborate instead of compete for the future.

I’m especially proud to bring some longtime friends, collaborators, and builders into the same room:
- Brian Brackeen of Lightship Anchor Fund (@lightship.foundation ),
- Shannon McGhee of SEED SPOT (@seedspot ) ,
- Ted Velie of Midwest House and Start Midwest (@midwest_house ), and Wolf Starr of Venture Atlas (@twolfstarr ) .

These are people who are not just talking about what comes next. They are building it.

Join us July 29 at the Idea Foundry for a conversation about what it will take for the Midwest to compete, win, and create prosperity without leaving communities behind.

Make sure you register today! taken in Idea Foundry Columbus by @lightship.foundation

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16 days ago

Meet Derrick L. Maultsby Jr. ✨

Managing Associate at Frost Brown Todd and a Lightship Bootcamp instructor.

Derrick is passionate about helping founders grow by helping them understand the legal decisions that shape how their companies operate, scale, and protect what they’re building. ⚖️

He’s also the founder of the Derrick Maultsby Jr. Startup Micro-Grant Competition at Robert Morris University, supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs with mentorship and non-dilutive funding.

At Bootcamp, Derrick helps entrepreneurs navigate the legal side of building a business with clarity and confidence. 🚀 by @lightship.foundation

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19 days ago

We asked founders one simple question:

📚 What’s the last book you read?

The pauses were real. 😂
The answers were even better.

And yes, *Atomic Habits* made the list.

Drop your last read below 👇🏾
#FounderCommunity #StartupEcosystem #Entrepreneurship by @lightship.foundation

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24 days ago

“The best founders aren’t the ones who know everything. They’re the ones who know where to find it.”

If you're building a business in Ohio, these organizations should be on your radar.

From accelerators to venture support to statewide economic development, this ecosystem exists to help entrepreneurs grow.

Here are 6 more organizations every Ohio entrepreneur should know.

Save this post for later and share it with a founder building in Ohio.

#StartupEcosystem #Entrepreneurship #StartupSupport #InnovationCommunity #MidwestStartups #FounderCommunity by @lightship.foundation

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a month ago

The pre-pitch feelings... ✨

📸 @jnicolephoto

#LightshipBootcamp #Startups #Entrepreneurs #JoinNow by @lightship.foundation

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a month ago

Founders, this is your reminder. 👀

Applications for VC Matchmaking at @BlackTechWeek close July 1st! 🚨

This is your opportunity to connect directly with investors actively looking for innovative companies and ambitious founders.

If you’re raising capital, preparing to raise, or simply looking to build relationships with the right investors, now is the time to apply.

The right conversation can change the trajectory of your business. 💡

⚠️ Applications close July 1.

Apply now:
blacktechweek.com/vcmatchmaking by @lightship.foundation

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a month ago

🎬 Episode 2: Haley Kurtz

POV: You're building a tech company... and you're not technical. 🤯

Meet Haley Kurtz, founder of Willow Intelligence.

Like many founders, Haley had spent countless hours trying to crack her go-to-market strategy. She knew the problem she was solving. She knew who she wanted to help. But getting traction felt like a puzzle she couldn't quite solve.

Then came Bootcamp.

One conversation with our lead facilitator, Rod Walton, changed everything. 💡

Her biggest breakthrough wasn't a new tool or a new tactic.

It was clarity.

And just as importantly, she realized she wasn't alone.

Being in the room with other entrepreneurs facing similar challenges gave her something every founder needs:

🤝 Community
💡 Perspective
🚀 Confidence

Sometimes the breakthrough isn't another YouTube video or podcast.

Sometimes it's being in the right room with the right people.

Watch Haley's story. 🎥

Drop a 🚀 if you've ever felt stuck trying to figure out your next move. taken in Marietta, Ohio by @lightship.foundation

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a month ago

Introduciiing 🥁 Our incredible Marietta, OH Bootcamp Cohort!

The Lightship team loved getting to know these founders and you will too!

Check them out below 👇🏾
- Bianca Wise, AIDE Blueprint (aideblueprint)
- Sujit Pal, Public Access LLC
- Cathy Fuller, Good Boy Baker (goodboybakery_roscoevillage)
- Cedrick Kelly, Skramble (sckramble)
- Chima Imoh, MiMiroir Technologies (mimiroirtech)
- Haley Kurtz,
- Idris Hunn, Hunn Homes Inc. (hunnhomes)
- Jalesa Hunn, Power Couple Media (powercouplemedia)
- Jen Allman, SIPS Coffee Truck (sipscoffeetruck)
- Rick Mayle (tag him on his pic rickmayle), Smart Bail Network

Applications for 2026 Bootcamps are still open! Visit the 🔗 in our bio to apply ✅ by @lightship.foundation

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a month ago

POV: Your team decided to edit the recaps from Ohio’s favorite entrepreneur program like a reality TV show. 🎬

Because the founders are real.
The challenges are real.
And the results are real. 🚀

Welcome to Episode 0.

Meet Rod Walton, Lead Facilitator of Lightship Bootcamp and Managing Director of ThinkMODA.

Rod has helped founders generate more than $25M in revenue and raise over $12M in funding.💰

In this episode, Rod shares why Bootcamp isn’t just about learning. It’s about exposing entrepreneurs to the tools, frameworks, and opportunities they didn’t even know existed.

Because sometimes growth isn’t about working harder.

It’s about gaining:
⚙️ Better systems
🤖 Better tools
💡 Better strategies
🤝 Better community
📈 More confidence in your next move

As Rod puts it, entrepreneurs often don’t know what they don’t know.

Lightship Bootcamp helps change that.

🎥 Episode 0 starts now.

Drop a 🚀 if you’re building something. by @lightship.foundation

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a month ago