Daniel Lubetzky, Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and KIND CEO is investing $3M on three startups; EatPops, 479 Degrees, and GimMe Health Foods.
President Barack Obama hosted the first White House Demo Day; a program that introduces startup founders from different areas of innovation encouraging them to apply their creative ideas. In view of the lineup, Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and KIND Snacks CEO Daniel Lubetzky will fund the three health startups; EatPops, 479 Degrees, and GimMe Health Foods. Aside from that, they will be mentored by the same people behind KIND Health Snacks. Lubetzky will assist the three companies strategically, cited in a press release from the White House.
"Immigrants tend to deeply appreciate America because they can contrast the freedom and democracy and opportunities that we have with the broken systems elsewhere," Lubetzky told Inc.
Lubetzky knows how it is to start with nothing as an entrepreneur in a foreign country. He migrated to America when he was 16 and pushed himself to become an entrepreneur because he's not permitted to work in the U.S.
Though the country is the marketplace for the investors around the world, attracting ingenious Americans from different backgrounds, only 3% of the funded startups are headed by women, only1% are from African-Americans. And it's a great challenge outside the metro to start a business because venture capital financiers are flocked in just a few places.
The three startups owned by women reflect the program's aim to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs globally and to build up their experience in the business.
EatPops was founded by Sophie Milrom in 2014. When she realized that fresh juice are quite expensive for people and there were no snacks for those who wanted to reduce unhealthy ingredients on their food and drinks. So she freezes up juice made from fruits and veggies to preserve it and cut the cost, detailed on the official website.
479 Degrees is founded by Jean Arnold. A recipe from her mom, she made her own version of organic popcorn adding new exotic seasonings after she studied at Le Cordon Bleu, London. The name implies the most favorable temperature in heating popcorns, which is at 479 Degrees Fahrenheit.
GimMe Health Food is a roasted seaweed snack owned by Korean Annie Chun with husband Steve Broad from California. The company mirrors their multi-cultural family. Chun has an expertise in Korean cooking and culture. She found out that food tastes best when it's grown fresh without preservatives. The name comes from 'gim' which means seaweeds in Korea.
The Demo Day is a first in the White House history to support marginal entrepreneurs represented by women and different races surfacing some areas in America.
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