Introducing The Fellows Program
Running a business of any size, let alone a startup, can be a challenging and isolating experience. To bring our Founders together in a supportive environment, we are pleased to announce the formation of a new group known as the Arch Grants Fellows.
The Fellows are a peer advisory and business growth collective comprised of select Arch Grants Founders and the leaders of St. Louis’ fastest growing startups. The Fellows have come together to accelerate their learning, ideation, execution, connections, and growth, with the goal of supporting and energizing each other and St. Louis.
Arch Grants Fellows are leading companies that have reached certain revenue and follow-on capital thresholds. To date, Fellows companies have cumulatively generated over $279 million in revenue and attracted over $286 million in follow-on capital. Founders of Arch Grants Companies and the leaders of select organizations outside the Arch Grants family will join the Fellows on an invitation basis.
The program was conceived in 2023 after we noticed a multi-year trend of, by our standards, mature St. Louis-based companies applying to our annual Startup Competition. Simply put, these companies were too far along in their startup journeys for our non-dilutive grant funding to make a difference.
Yet, we found ourselves not wanting to say “no” to them.
When we asked why they were putting themselves through our time-consuming vetting process, we consistently heard that they were looking for a community of peers, market validation, and connections to the local business community.
This repeated feedback, paired with our relentless attention to providing value to our diverse portfolio of 140+ startups in St. Louis, resulted in the development of a program whereby we could convene the founders of later-stage startups within a peer-learning and resource-sharing framework.
The majority of Fellows are entrepreneurs who have been funded by Arch Grants over the years and whose companies are meeting our established performance criteria. In addition, two to three startup founders who have not received prior funding through Arch Grants will be selected for the program each year, and these Fellows new to Arch Grants will receive the same wraparound support services our Founders have come to expect. Every Fellow will go through an extensive volunteer-led vetting process and be approved by our Board of Directors.
Along with listening to Founder feedback, we had a conversation with Chris Dornfeld and Drew Carter, co-founders of Whistle Systems, a fast-growing provider of employee recognition and incentive programs that empower teams and change behaviors. They expressed interest in working with Arch Grants, and we are proud to say they were the first Fellows named to the program. They’ve subsequently stepped forward to lead the group and chair two discussion forums. Chris and Drew are volunteering their time and energy to develop this program, and we’re grateful for that. They have tremendous business and startup experience, are active in local civic initiatives, and we’re proud to have them on board.
The Fellows are entrepreneurial leaders and will serve as a brain trust, support network, and hopefully, a future funding and investment source for Arch Grants and its awardees for many years to come. St. Louis is evolving as a startup city, and the Fellows program is a significant stride forward for Arch Grants to meet that moment.
On behalf of everyone at Arch Grants, we want to welcome the Founders listed below into the Arch Grants Fellows program. We extend a particularly warm greeting to Whistle Systems and its visionary cofounders, Chris and Drew – welcome to the Arch Grants family. To all our new Fellows: we look forward to supporting your journey and celebrating your successes.
Inaugural group of Arch Grants Fellows:
David Adkin, Co-Founder, Adalo
Luke Babich, Co-Founder and CEO, Clever Real Estate
Andrew Barnell, Co-Founder, Geneoscopy
Pat Barron, COO & Co-Founder, Native Pet
Sarah Bernard, Co-Founder and COO, Inclusively
Marc Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO, Balto
Drew Carter, Co-Founder, Whistle Systems
Chris Dornfeld, Co-Founder, Whistle Systems
Beth Handrigan, CEO, Lean Media
Brian Lord, Co-Founder and CEO, iSite Media
Alejandro Lozdziejski, Co-Founder, Customily
Martina Möring, Co-Founder, Customily
Ryan Richt, Co-Founder, Well Principled
Kelley Robson, Founder & CEO, Pivto Digital Learning
Jimmy Sansone, Co-Founder, The Normal Brand
Dan Schaefer, CEO & Co-Founder, Native Pet
Stephen Seaman, Co-Founder and COO, Swipesum
Candera Thompson, Founder, Bask & Bloom Essentials
Drew Winship, CEO, Juristat
Thank you St. Louis Business Journal for the positive news coverage of our Fellows Program.