The Lawyer DC Startups Are Talking To
In many ways, Steve Kaplan is your typical lawyer. He graduated from the University of Virginia Law School and has worked for the international firm Pillsbury Law since 2005. He speaks very precisely: in response to various questions, he began by listing how many parts his answers would have: “two related challenges,” “three general categories,” [...]
Uscoop: Trendy Deals for College Students
During my first year at a small-town university, the biggest retail attraction was a local Walmart, not exactly known for its stylish clothing. Now, college students facing similar woes—and those who prefer to do their shopping online—have a solution: Uscoop, which monitors clothing and dorm-décor trends on college campuses and offers discounts on trendy items.
“It’s [...]
WatchParty: The Future of Social TV?
When the Bachelor bends down on one knee on primetime TV, you can send a frantic text to your best friend, tweet with the #bachelor hashtag, or post a gushing Facebook update. Or you can join a WatchParty, a new, interactive type of chatroom where users post short messages, rate shows, and take polls.
“We’ve made [...]
CityPockets: Relief for Compulsive Daily-Deal Buyers
Sometime in early 2010, self-described deal seeker Cheryl Yeoh had accumulated 40 vouchers from a handful of daily-deal sites. After a few forgotten vouchers almost expired, she began posting new ones on her food blog to keep track. Readers commiserated with her daily-deal inundation, and she began to see a market opportunity.
“I saw this space [...]
The Straight Shooter: Meet Grotech’s Bobby Ocampo
Authenticity isn’t a quality usually associated with venture capitalists. But Bobby Ocampo, an associate at DC-based Grotech Ventures, was pretty straightforward from the moment I asked my first question.
“I’ll just start talking, and let me know when you start to fall asleep,” he joked, launching into an explanation of his background.
Ocampo was raised by parents [...]
Play Games, Win Discounts. It’s That Simple.
Never underestimate people’s desire for a great deal.
That’s one of the biggest lessons Peter Martin has learned working on his new startup, PlayPass. Like daily deal-ers Groupon and LivingSocial, PlayPass offers discounts for shoppers. But instead of getting an automatic deal, they have to work for it—or, rather, play for it. At checkout on sites [...]
The Love App
Would-be entrepreneurs are often told to create a startup that “scratches their own itch,” and that’s just what BeCouply does. Founded by lovers-turned-business-partners Becky Cruze and Pius Uzamere, BeCouply is a free mobile and web app that allows couples to discover new date ideas, capture special moments, and connect with other couples.
Cruze first felt the [...]
