Visible Hands — a venture capital firm that funds and empowers overlooked founders launching high-growth startups — announces its inaugural cohort of 20 entrepreneurs for Blueprint: Tulsa, a hybrid program for Southern-based founders. This program, created in partnership with Build in Tulsa, is targeted at early-stage entrepreneurs who are working on scalable tech-enabled solutions and/or venture-backed ideas reshaping leading industries.
Visible Hands and Build in Tulsa have officially launched their first cohort for Blueprint: Tulsa, a 12-week hybrid program for 20 overlooked founders building high-growth, tech, and tech-enabled businesses based in the Southern U.S. This group of 20 diverse founders will work over the next few months to secure their first customers while developing functional prototypes for their startups.
The founders who were accepted into Blueprint: Tulsa will get the guidance and support needed from the Visible Hands and Build in Tulsa teams to hit their next major startup milestone. Each of the cohort’s entrepreneurs will be granted $10K in non-dilutive funding to financially empower them to work on their startups, and Visible Hands will be providing company-building services throughout the program.
Blueprint: Tulsa was created to help underrepresented tech founders across the South gain more traction in the early stages of their journeys, with Build in Tulsa and Visible Hands hoping to be a strong foundation of support to fill the funding gap for overlooked entrepreneurs.
Blueprint: Tulsa is an extension of the Visible Hands mission to support overlooked talent, in partnership with Build in Tulsa’s efforts to create more inclusion in the startup ecosystem.
Here are the amazing 20 founders and startups who make up the inaugural Blueprint: Tulsa cohort:
Shacole Hamlett
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: Planbrite
PlanBrite is an AI-powered production platform revolutionizing how event production teams manage pre-production. Built by industry veterans, the platform automates the most time-consuming parts of event planning such as budgets, timelines, run of shows, and staffing plans, turning scattered spreadsheets and briefs into smart, exportable documents in minutes. Designed for brand activations, festivals, and live experiences, PlanBrite empowers producers to move faster, reduce errors, and scale their impact. With a rapidly growing waitlist and proven demand from top-tier agencies and freelancers, PlanBrite is redefining the future of event production infrastructure.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shacole-hamlett-3926304a/
Dr. Tamecca Rogers
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: Inspire Publishing
Inspire Expressions Media is a bold creative hub dedicated to breaking barriers in film, publishing, and education. Founded by Dr. Tamecca Rogers, the company empowers underrepresented youth to step behind (and in front of) the camera with real mentorship, real tools, and real-world opportunities. Its flagship project, Keepin’ It REEL Connect, is an AI-powered mobile app that connects young filmmakers ages 11–18 with Emmy-winning mentors, interactive lessons, and industry resources — all designed to help them tell authentic stories and build careers from script to screen. Inspire Expressions Media believes every young voice deserves to be heard — and is building the tech and community to make it happen.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtameccarogers/
ShaRon McKnight
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: Bright Path Providers
Bright Path Providers is an AI-powered platform that helps early childhood educators save time and reduce burnout by automating lesson planning. We generate custom, developmentally appropriate lesson plans aligned with early learning standards—empowering providers to focus more on children and less on paperwork. Built by a child care provider who understands the day-to-day challenges of running a program, Bright Path supports home daycares, centers, and after-school programs with engaging, easy-to-implement content tailored to their needs. We're on a mission to make lesson planning simpler, smarter, and more accessible—so every provider can shine.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-mcknight-b1a7b6319/
Travell Williams
🌎 Location: Houston, Texas
🏔️ Company: NextStep
NextStep is a companion care service helping patients get home and recover safely after outpatient surgery. We match patients with trained healthcare companions for transport, prescription pickup, and home recovery through our mobile app.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travellw/
Tacharra Perry
🌎 Location: Houston, Texas
🏔️ Company: CHAR
CHAR is an inclusive luxury ready-to-wear brand redefining femininity through timeless design. CHAR creates elevated garments that celebrate diversity, versatility, and craftsmanship. Recognized by Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation and supported by Nordstrom, Google, and Facebook, CHAR blends style with purpose—prioritizing ethical production and community impact.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tacharra-p-908293111/
Antonio Depina
🌎 Location: Orlando, Florida
🏔️ Company: Scoutz
Scoutz is an AI-powered sports recruiting platform helping overlooked athletes get discovered by college and pro teams. Built by former pro basketball player Antonio DePina, Scoutz streamlines the recruiting process by using data, scouting reports, and proprietary matchmaking algorithms to connect athletes with the right teams — automatically.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-depina-0857a01a2
Barrington Williamson he/him/his)
🌎 Location: Tampa, Florida
🏔️ Company: ThryveWallet
📝 Bio: ThryveWallet is an AI-powered personal finance platform built for the overlooked. We help everyday people, especially those living paycheck to paycheck, freelancers, and first-time wealth builders gain clarity, confidence, and control over their money. With features like smart goal setting, real-time financial insights, and our signature Thryve Report, ThryveWallet goes beyond budgeting to offer personalized, proactive support through life’s financial highs and lows. We're not just another money app, we're a movement to close the financial guidance gap, one user at a time.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrington-williamson-45895382/
Bria Francisco
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ **Company: Collective Impact
Collective Impact is a software platform built for CDOs. We streamline grant strategy, compliance, and project execution so leaders can focus on building stronger, more equitable communities. We believe grassroots leaders deserve enterprise-grade support. Collective Impact merges data, funding timelines, and goals into one intuitive workspace, whether you're mapping blight or applying for a federal grant. We reduce friction, unlock funding, and help organizations move from reactive to strategic.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bria-francisco/
Sheena Agyare
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: The SHeK Lifestyle
The SHēK Lifestyle is a trauma-informed wellness brand making self-love an accessible path to healing for minorities. We offer guided meditations, sound therapy, coaching, and self-reflection tools that support emotional wellness in real, sustainable ways. Founded by Sheena Agyare, a mental health professional with over a decade of experience, our mission is simple: create safe spaces where healing feels personal, culturally grounded, and rooted in truth.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheena-agyare
Julie Packett
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: goldendelicious
Goldendelicious helps teachers move into new careers with AI-powered skill translation and job matching. The platform supports educators by turning their classroom experience into in-demand professional skills, making it easier to connect with employers in other industries. Goldendelicious is committed to creating equitable opportunities and simplifying career transitions for teachers everywhere.
Olivier Rigaud
🌎 Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida
🏔️ Company: EdVizi
EdVizi is the only CRM built for EdTech companies, by EdTech professionals. We know the challenges of growing an EdTech business, because we’ve been there. That’s why we created a CRM that eliminates guesswork, automates manual tasks, and helps revenue teams sell smarter, not harder. Founded by EdTech sales experts with deep experience in both education and technology, EdVizi bridges the gap between the two. Our mission is to empower EdTech companies with an intuitive, purpose-built CRM that streamlines operations, enhances customer engagement, and drives sustainable growth. At EdVizi, we’re more than just a software provider, we’re your partner in success. Let’s transform the way EdTech companies scale, together.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-casellas-b8a0361b9/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-casellas-b8a0361b9/
Rene Bramlett
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: Eygide
Rene Bramlett is the visionary behind Eygide, a tech-driven eyewear company redefining vision care through AI-enabled smart eyewear. Diagnosed with glaucoma in 1999, she turned her experience into a mission to advocate for eye health while merging fashion and function. In 2025, she launched Da' Shade Room Eyewear, delivering stylish, purpose-driven frames. Now based in Tulsa, OK, Rene is preparing to launch Proactive AI Real-Time Response Smart Eyewear, setting new standards in augmented reality and user experience. Her motto, “DARE TO BE DIFFERENT,” underscores her commitment to innovation and impact the vision impaired community.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rene-bramlett-202568268/
Michael Senyo
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: Neuro Detect
NeuroDetect is an AI-powered medical platform revolutionizing early brain tumor detection by putting diagnostic power in the hands of frontline clinicians. Built by a self-taught founder with firsthand experience of healthcare gaps, our mobile-compatible solution delivers 98% accurate tumor analysis in under 2 minutes—even with low-quality scans from underserved hospitals. Unlike enterprise-focused competitors, we prioritize accessibility with offline functionality and a $5/scan model that’s 60% cheaper than alternatives. Currently preparing for FDA clearance with pilot partners in Tulsa, we’re on a mission to ensure no patient’s life hangs in the balance of a fatigued radiologist’s oversight.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-seer-2426111a1/
Amanda Morrall
🌎 Location: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
🏔️ Company: Ignite Social Impact
Ignite Social Impact is on a mission to activate untapped talent and accelerate access to purpose-driven careers. Founded in 2024 by Amanda Morrall and Huong Dang while Obama Foundation Scholars at Columbia University, Ignite launched with a summit convening young changemakers and social impact leaders. Now a global platform, Ignite supports students and early-career professionals through events, mentorship, and curated opportunities, bridging the gap between purpose-driven talent and the employers who need them.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandamorrall/
Bassey Ubokudom
🌎 Location: Houston, Texas
🏔️ Company: Shana
Shana is an on-demand homecare platform that connects older adults with licensed caregivers for short, flexible visits tailored to their needs. Designed for those who want to age independently without the high costs or long shifts required by traditional agencies, Shana offers support for tasks like grooming, light housekeeping, and companionship for one or two hours at a time. Built with both users and caregivers in mind, Shana creates dignified, accessible care while giving CNAs the flexibility to earn on their own terms. This is Where Care Meets Freedom!
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bassey-ubokudom/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahpeoples/
Anika Davis
🌎 Location: Fayetteville, Georgia
🏔️ Company: QoreInsights Inc.
QoreInsights is on a mission to improve how teachers grow and students succeed by making professional learning timely, personalized, and effective. Their AI-powered platform, the Classroom Education Plan (CEP), helps K-6 teachers match real-time classroom needs to research-based strategies and track their impact throughout the year. CEP is already supporting nearly 2,000 students and over 100 teachers across multiple states. In early pilots, 73–80% of teachers who aligned strategies to benchmark domains saw greater gains in those areas than in overall ELA or math scores. Founded by two women with deep roots in education, learning science, and organizational strategy, QoreInsights is scaling a smarter, more equitable approach to teacher support—built with and for the people closest to the classroom.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anika-davis-ed-d/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-shub-ed-d-2a2b249/
Ngozi Ahanotu
🌎 Location: Atlanta, Georgia
🏔️ Company: AdCoins
Hiihat global exists to make Black-owned businesses easier to find, support, and scale. We build relevant ad technology to give small businesses access and visibility to their target audience in a digital economy built to exclude them.
👋 Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/izeahanotu
Latoya Smith
🌎 Location: Tulsa, OK
🏔️ Company: Dose Calc App
Dose Calc App is a nurse-built, Future of Work platform helping nursing students master medication dosage calculation with confidence. Founded by LaToya Smith, a registered nurse with 17 years of experience, the app blends tech innovation with real-world clinical expertise to reduce medication errors, boost exam success, and close equity gaps in healthcare education. At its core, Dose Calc App addresses the 74% failure rate in nursing students’ dosage calculation exams—a leading cause of attrition in nursing programs. By helping nursing education organizations improve student outcomes, the platform directly supports graduation rates and strengthens the healthcare workforce.
When nurses calculate correctly, patient safety wins—and the system gets stronger.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoya-smith-76ab1261
Troy Blaylock
🌎 Location: Tustin, California & Austin, Texas
🏔️ Company: Parking Pin
Parking Pin is a platform revolutionizing university parking with accessible, affordable, hardware-free solutions—empowering campuses to make data-driven decisions that alleviate traffic and improve the commuter experience.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyblaylock/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wilson-1651a5132/
Kemi Bolatito
🌎 Location: San Francisco, California
🏔️ Company: Scooly Technology Inc.
Scooly is an AI-powered global mobility platform that simplifies immigration, cross-border hiring, and compliance for startups, businesses, and immigrants worldwide. By unifying immigration services, payroll, and financial tools into a single seamless ecosystem—now rebranding as Rolla—Scooly empowers users to navigate complex international processes with transparency and ease. With a growing user base across 180+ countries, Scooly is driving inclusive innovation and economic opportunity for global talent and employers alike.
👋 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-bolatito/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/idowubb/
