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10 <br /> 8 <br /> Creating the launch pad <br /> Launch's calling card is the accelerator, which has acted as the springboard for <br /> companies like Keona Health, Impulsonic, Freedom and Tom & Jenny's as they <br /> launch products, hire staff, raise money and move into larger spaces. <br /> Dina Rousset —a serial entrepreneur who now works as associate director for UNC's <br /> Center for Entrepreneurial Studies —serves as program manager of Launch and <br /> oversees the progress of its ventures. <br /> "(The ventures) work with their entrepreneurs-in-residence and set goals for the time that <br /> they're here," Rousset says. "During that time, we heavily lay on mentorship resources <br /> and resource partners. We're trying to hold their hand and pull them along." <br /> Three of the seven ventures in the cohort that started in July are student-led companies <br /> that won funding in the Carolina Challenge. Rousset says that all seven have made <br /> significant progress since beginning the program. <br /> "They're all in the process of trying to scale, and at the same time working to raise <br /> funding to help them get there," she says. She noted that every company has raised <br /> funds, and three have applied for Orange County small business grants. The cohort is <br /> also having success in launching beta products and reaching customers. <br /> Here's the lowdown on the companies: <br /> Trill Financial, which uses data to quantify financial decisions and allow financial <br /> managers to save time on manual analysis, has released a beta version has received <br /> positive feedback from financial managers. <br /> Tribal Intel, a service meant to streamline sales and customer feedback operations, has <br /> also released a beta site and is attracting customers. <br /> Seal The Seasons, which freezes and distributes local produce to make it available year- <br /> round, took second place honors at Carolina Challenge and has continued to grow <br /> quickly in local markets. <br /> SWAP Socks is creating mismatched socks with the purpose of raising awareness and <br /> money for visual impairment in developing countries; this team has been working with a <br /> manufacturer in western North Carolina to design and make the product while refining <br /> what Rousset calls "interesting and exciting sales methods" as they build their go-to- <br /> market plan. <br /> BlipMe—a smartphone app used to keep tabs on friends' locations, especially during <br /> nights out—and Textile Solutions, which works with manufacturers to repurpose <br /> industrial waste and use it to create new products, have built out their products and <br /> attracted customers. Rousset mentioned both are "heads down" as they are immersed in <br /> sales and business development processes. <br />