Future Founders

What if waste could become the starting point for something valuable? We sat down with Fellowship Alum Elliott Notrica of Symbio Bioculinary to talk about using engineered organisms to transform food waste into useful materials like antioxidants, oils, and sugars.

With a background as a chef, Elliott saw firsthand how much food gets thrown away and decided to approach the problem differently. His work is a reminder that innovation often starts by looking at everyday problems through a new lens.

What started as a side hustle in college turned into a beverage brand now sold in 30 states. We sat down with Fellowship Cohort 11 alum Eddie Favela, founder of Vidagua, to talk about scaling from homemade aguas frescas to supermarket shelves, learning the realities of manufacturing, and building a product people genuinely wanted.

From restaurant testing to national growth, his story is a reminder that entrepreneurship is not just about having an idea. It is about learning, adapting, and figuring things out at every stage.

Future Founders Mentor Spotlight 💡

We sat down with Future Founders mentor Reva Minkoff of Digital4Startups to talk about building a business through opportunity, adaptability, and long-term relationships.

Reva advises our founders on a variety of topics to help them
maximize their marketing efforts through digital marketing, SEO, and social media, to name a few.

When Future Founders started as a standalone organization, we shared desk space with Reva and her company. Reva’s support has been there since the very beginning and we’re thrilled to connect talented founders like her with our own founders.

Some of the best moments happen in between the programming.

The side conversations. The shared advice. The introductions that turn into future collaborations.

This gathering brought together founders from different backgrounds, industries, and stages of entrepreneurship, from Apprentices just getting started to Fellows and Alumni actively scaling businesses.

So many ideas exchanged. So many meaningful connections formed. And so much inspiration shared along the way.

Creativity is a business and a path forward. (Startup Bootcamp alum and current Fellowship participant) is building her own lane through live art experiences, backed by a community that pushes her to keep growing.

Through Future Founders, she’s found mentors, guidance, and a network that shows what’s possible. And now, she’s showing other creatives that success isn’t limited to one path. It belongs to anyone willing to build it.