Stand Together Ventures Lab

Today marks a pivotal moment in our mission to transform public safety. ForceMetrics has raised $22M in funding, led by Costanoa Ventures, with significant support from the Hobson Lucas Family Foundation (founded by?Mellody Hobson and George Lucas), Govtech Fund, Flybridge, Stand Together Ventures Lab, and Growth Warrior Capital. This investment enables us to scale our platform, empowering first responders with real-time, life-saving insights that strengthen their ability to protect communities and make critical decisions in the moments that matter most. Discover more about our journey and the road ahead: https://lnkd.in/gBVK_4FY

Our portfolio companies — Aura Health, JusticeText, and Manifest — are proof that AI isn’t just a tool for efficiency; it’s a driver of human empowerment. ?? Aura Health and its founders, Steve Lee and Daniel Lee, are making mental wellness more accessible by using AI to deliver personalized support to reduce stress and improve wellbeing, breaking down barriers to care for millions of people. ?? JusticeText and its founders, Devshi Mehrotra and Leslie Jones-Dove, are leveraging AI to level the playing field in the criminal justice system, giving public defenders the tools and time they need to provide fairer, more effective representation. ?? Manifest and its founder, Amy Wu, are gamifying mental health for Gen Z, turning daily wellness practices into engaging challenges – helping young people develop emotional resilience and build daily wellness habits. AI is often met with skepticism, especially when it comes to concerns about stifling innovation or hindering human progress. But at Stand Together Ventures Lab, we’re seeing firsthand how AI can be a catalyst for positive change when applied thoughtfully. Explore how we’re partnering with founders who are leading the way in AI for good: https://lnkd.in/eSie3iv5.

At Stand Together Ventures Lab, we celebrate entrepreneurs for exactly who they are — principled innovators committed to bottom-up, community-driven solutions. We're looking for more founders who share this vision to help tackle our nation's biggest challenges. Discover how you can join us at: https://lnkd.in/gqt2sqCG. #StandTogetherVenturesLab

At TEDAI San Francisco, we’re proud to partner with Stand Together Ventures Lab to highlight how AI is transforming society. Our partner sponsor, Stand Together Ventures Lab, isn't just advancing technology — they're driving meaningful social change. ?? With a focus on health care, education, the economy, and the future of work, Stand Together Ventures Lab supports visionary founders who use AI to address society’s biggest challenges. By providing resources, connections, and mentorship, they help bold ideas turn into lasting impact. Learn more. #TEDAI #AI #SocialImpact #Innovation #TechForGood #MentalHealth #Justice #GenZ

When I think about the early days of Assemble.FYI I’m reminded of our simple vision: to produce educational courses designed and taught by esteemed experts from diverse backgrounds. But the journey from vision to reality was anything but simple. We faced tough questions from the start: 1. How do we attract talent with no money? 2. How do we produce content that not only meets our customers’ needs but also upholds the brands of our instructors? 3. How do articulate this opportunity that no one seems to get? At the time, MasterClass had just raised $225 million, and no major ed-tech venture fund would touch us. It took me a year to secure our first $50K check thanks to William Bao Bean and Orbit Startups. Thankfully, Stand Together Ventures Lab and Backstage Capital followed on, but compared to the industry, we were operating with a fraction of the resources. $350k For context the pre and seed rounds of similar companies were: MasterClass~ $7 million. Outlier.org ~ $5 million. Subject, a company I'm proud to support, ~ $3.5 million. But we didn’t let that stop us. Our early team wore five hats each. I worked with Rovane Durso on designing a platform that spoke directly to our audience. Samuel Hicks, London Williams, and I built our production operation from scratch—hiring crews, crafting curriculum and making our content second to none. Segen Berhe single handedly designed all our our sets. With just $40K, we produced our first course, while the industry standard was around $200K per course. The result? Over $100K in sales in our first week. This experience taught me that when resources are scarce, your team, grit and determination can make all the difference. If you don’t compromise on quality and user experience, the rewards will follow. We must have asked ourselves "how" a million times but the overall sentiment was "figure it out." To our early team and investors—thank you for believing in Assemble. We’re just getting started. Firebrand Ventures James Cole, Jr. Justin Hauge SmoothBrain Chris Pflanz Tiffany Haddish Camden McRae Taylor Adams Arlan Hamilton Sihyun Choi Albert Johnson Will Dowell Zach Goren Unlikely Collaborators #edtech #assemblefyi #onlinelearning #startups

We’re excited to share what we’ll be doing at TEDAI San Francisco 2024! This year, we’re hosting a panel focused on AI policy to dive into the critical role of policy in shaping the future of AI, tackling key issues such as regulatory trends, ethical responsibility, and the challenges of propelling innovation. At Stand Together Ventures Lab, the future of AI isn’t just about advancing technology. It’s about using AI to solve society’s toughest challenges in health care, education, the economy, and the future of work. We support our visionary founders with more resources, connections, and mentorship, helping turn bold ideas into transformative solutions. If you’re passionate about creating a policy environment that allows AI to flourish responsibly and for the greater good, let’s connect at TEDAI! #STVLatTEDAI #TEDAI2024 #AI4Good

At Assemble.FYI, we’re committed to creating equitable education solutions, and we’ve chosen to focus on HBCUs first. Last year, 102 HBCUs combined generated $10 billion in revenue, while Stanford alone generated $13.9 billion! This gap presents an opportunity to innovate and partner with these incredible institutions, complementing their existing offerings. And we’re not just talking—we’re producing! By working together, we’re ushering in a new wave of job-ready education that prepares students for the future, while supporting the amazing work these universities are already doing. Major thanks to our investors and partners for being on this journey with us. William Bao Bean Chris Pflanz SmoothBrain Chris Marks Firebrand Ventures Stand Together Ventures Lab James Cole, Jr. and more! #Edtech #Minorityservinginstitutions #Assemble.fyi #secondaryeducation

Parminder K. Jassal (??????? ???) shares our belief that education options need to be as dynamic as the job market and the individuals in it. That’s why she and America's community and technical colleges founded Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs Marketplace. Unmudl bridges the gap between skills and employment, tying training, college credit and certification courses to live job opportunities, and assisting working learners qualify for real technician jobs quickly. Almost 2000 working learners have already benefited from their courses through a partnership with Amazon, leading to technician job opportunities after completion. See why we support Unmudl’s commitment to driving economic mobility and providing tangible affordable pathways to employment: https://lnkd.in/eEXcC5tx. #StandTogetherVenturesLab

Have you heard about the Abundance Institute? They’re joining us at TEDAI San Francisco this year, and we couldn’t be more excited. The Abundance Institute is tackling one of the biggest hurdles facing tech advancement today: cultural complacency and fear. Whether it’s in energy, AI, or bioengineering, the Institute’s working to ensure innovation can reach its full potential by investing in talent, supporting founders, and shaping public policy. At Stand Together Ventures Lab, we're all about transforming bold ideas into action, and the Abundance Institute’s mission aligns closely with our own: creating an environment where emerging technologies can thrive. Learn more about the Abundance Institute and its mission here: https://lnkd.in/e3vNUdGP. #STVLatTEDAI #TEDAI2024 #TheAbundanceInstitute

?? Exciting News from Ascent! ?? We're thrilled to announce the successful closing of our second public securitization, and our first securitization focused on career education consumer loans. This milestone supports our mission to empower students with the financial tools they need to access high-ROI short-term, high-impact programs in fields like coding, automotive, and cybersecurity, driving economic mobility for adult learners. In a time when 57% of high school graduates never enroll in college, and many struggle to complete their degrees, Ascent is proud to provide a flexible, alternative path to educational and financial success. To date, Ascent has provided $450 million to over 42,000 students, helping to increase incomes and improve FICO scores for 98% of our borrowers. We are excited to continue expanding our support for career learners and the skilled trades workforce! Learn more about our securitization today: https://lnkd.in/gaMf3Rqt #StudentSuccess #StudentLoans #HigherEd #Securitization