In the bustling world of startups, where innovation and diversity intertwine to forge new pathways, Heather Lawver, founder and CEO of D.C.-based Ceemo.ai stands out not just as a visionary entrepreneur but as a beacon of inclusivity and determination. Her journey to build Ceemo.ai, an advertising and branding platform dedicated to revolutionizing how startups conceive and market their brands, has reached a pivotal milestone with its selection into StartOut’s esteemed Growth Lab Accelerator, sponsored by J.P. Morgan. 

With less than one percent of startup funding being allocated toward LGBTQ+ founders in 2023, according to a recent StartOut study, this five-month program is critical in providing resources and education to help LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs grow and compete. 

Ceemo.ai joins eight other companies nationwide for this exclusive five-month training program.

A commitment to inclusion

Lawver founded Ceemo.ai in 2021 as a way to help entrepreneurs build better brands and seamlessly apply them to the marketing and pitch materials they need to launch the company of their dreams. The company’s simple five-step brand quiz helps founders think strategically about how they want to be perceived by their customers to then generate a full brand book with wordmark logo, color scheme, and font suite. Ceemo then applies that new brand book to a full suite of marketing and pitch materials, giving founders a roadmap to making sales and securing investment.

Her application to the Growth Lab Accelerator cohort was driven by more than the desire for business growth; it was fueled by her longstanding volunteer work with StartOut and a profound commitment to fostering an environment where LGBTQ+ founders are not only included but celebrated. 

The selection of Ceemo.ai for StartOut’s Growth Lab, an accelerator known for its top-quality mentoring, education, and networking opportunities tailored for LGBTQ+ founders, marks a pivotal chapter in Lawver’s mission to help cultivate a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape.

“Being in an accelerator where I’m not the only queer person in the room is not just empowering; it’s transformative,” she shares. “It means so much to be selected for a program that embraces the unique challenges LGBTQ+ founders have, and these issues are not just acknowledged but are central to the narrative of success and innovation.”

“The founders in our 2024 Cohort are problem solvers, developing unique products and solutions across a range of industries, from technology and software to food and beverage,” said David Barbee, Head of LGBTQ+ Initiatives, J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking. “As they continue to scale, these companies will need access to resources like capital and banking solutions, investors and business advisors. We are proud to provide mentorship and access to our firm-wide capabilities to help them reach the next level.” 

“This platform is not just an accelerator; it’s a community where the unique challenges and triumphs of LGBTQ+ founders are acknowledged, celebrated, and used as a springboard for groundbreaking business success,” said Lawver. 

Ambitious goals for bright future

Over the past decade, Lawver’s expertise in enhancing pitch decks and fundraising strategies has been instrumental in securing more than $170 million for minority entrepreneurs across various demographics, including women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled individuals, and seniors. 

Her vision for her time in the five-month cohort is characterized by ambition and a keen focus on leveraging the program’s resources to scale Ceemo.ai’s impact. Her top goals include refining the platform’s Crunchbase algorithms to offer unparalleled market insights for startups, enhancing their organic sales funnels, and forging strategic partnerships with tech giants like Canva, Adobe, Google, Shopify, and Squarespace. These objectives are not just growth metrics but stepping stones towards revolutionizing how startups approach branding and marketing in a highly competitive digital landscape.

(Founded in 2009, StartOut, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the largest national organization to support LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs with more than 28,000 members nationwide. Its mission is to accelerate the growth of the LGBTQ+ community to drive its economic empowerment, building a world where every LGBTQ+ entrepreneur has equal access to lead, succeed, and shape the workforce of the future.)

When you start your workday, do you want to walk through the doors and enter an environment where talents are nurtured, passions are pursued, and possibilities abound? In Mather’s newest venture in Tysons, Virginia, all of this is part of an award-winning culture within their luxury community called The Mather. 

The highest level of hospitality imbues The Mather’s elegant amenity spaces, thoughtfully curated food and beverage offerings, and innovative model of next-level service. 

A Life Plan Community for those 62 and better, The Mather stands ready to welcome residents in early 2024, and is well underway with recruiting top talent who share a passion for creating an atmosphere that transcends the ordinary. That stems from the unique values of its parent organization—inclusive, resilient, bold, and impactful—and its vision to change the way society views aging. Mather, an 80+-year-old not-for-profit organization, has a history of retaining dedicated team members for years, by helping them learn new skills, develop their careers, and eliminate barriers to personal fulfillment.

Raj Radke, vice president and general manager of The Mather, explains, “Our mission of creating Ways to Age Well extends to all team members. We support their personal well-being with a supportive culture, valuable on-the-job perks, opportunities to learn and advance, and a competitive benefits package.” Highlights of that package include

• a generous paid time off program
• excellent medical and dental benefits
• tuition reimbursement
• annual reimbursement for self-care items and experiences 

Benefits commence on the first of the month following 30 days of employment. On-site perks include complimentary use of the community’s fitness center and pool, free parking, and a free meal. 

Located on Westpark Drive near Tysons Galleria, The Mather offers apartment homes ranging in size up to 3,300 square feet; luxury amenities include a fitness center featuring an exercise studio and indoor pool, multiple restaurants, a bar, outdoor event terraces with catering opportunities, a full-service spa, and three acres of green space. Services include reception and concierge, valet parking, shuttle and driver services, resident engagement and programming, housekeeping, and maintenance. 

Mather, with three senior living communities in Illinois and Arizona, is certified as a Great Place to Work and received a Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness Award from the National Association for Business Resources five years in a row, for promoting employee well-being, worksite health, and wellness.

The Mather is hiring for an array of positions to provide hospitality and exceptional service; it ultimately will have a total of 100+ full- and part-time team members—all focused on creating unique opportunities and meaningful moments for residents, colleagues, and guests.

“We’re seeking team members from high-end hotels and resorts who share our dedication to making a difference and creating luxury experiences,” says Raj. “We’re building a team that will push the envelope in curating elevated engagements that embrace a vibrant culture for residents and team members alike.”

If you’re interested in joining the team at The Mather, or know someone who is, browse open positions at themathertysons.com/jobs.

Robert McKernan was serving as a Mormon missionary for two years in college, working in the Dominican Republic. He said that the most gratifying work came as a translator for the Dominican Republic dentists. 

“At the time, I was queer and closeted in this extremely religious community and I found dentistry to be exciting,” said McKernan.

So, when he returned to the United States he decided to pursue dentistry and has been giving people a smile they love for more than three years now. 

After graduating from Touro College of Dental Medicine, he moved to D.C. and worked as an associate dentist for two different practices, before landing at Whitman-Walker Health.

Then, in 2021, he founded Big Gay Smiles. At his practice they aim not to, “treat patients like numbers, but family.”

Opening a practice during the COVID-19 pandemic was quite a journey, he said.

“We went from one chair in a rented dental office, to owning and purchasing our own commercial space and being open five days a week,” McKernan said.

In the new year, McKernan said Big Gay Smiles will welcome another dentist. 

After coming out, McKernan was excommunicated from the Mormon Church. However, one of the values he hasn’t relinquished is the 10 percent tithe. 

In the Mormon Church, congregants dedicate 10 percent of the their occupational earnings to the church. 

So, when McKernan opened Big Gay Smiles, he made a commitment to donate 10 percent of its profits to finding a cure for HIV.

“Serving the community has always been a passion of mine,” McKernan said. “It’s just my life’s calling, I want to help people smile and find a cure for HIV by doing it.”

In addition to practicing at Big Gay Smiles, he still works full time at Whitman-Walker’s Max Robinson location. He is the only dentist there and primarily serves patients living with HIV.

If McKernan could tell his younger, closeted self anything it would be that things get better. 

“You think that getting found out is the end of the world. It really isn’t, you know, it’s really just the beginning,” said McKernan. “You really enter into a second life that you live when you come out and live visibly.”