Meet the 2024 New England finalists

Eric is the Founder and CEO of BRUNT Workwear

BRUNT Workwear is a modern work boot and apparel brand designed for today's blue-collar worker. Founder Eric Girouard realized that the 23 million Americans who wake up each morning and lace up their work boots deserve better than what the legacy brands offer them in terms of product, service, and community engagement. BRUNT launched in 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic, with only three employees working out of Eric’s home garage, and sold out within the first nine days of launching the business. Based on the incessant demand from their loyal customer base, BRUNT has since expanded into the work apparel category and has become the head-to-toe workwear brand for the modern blue-collar construction worker and tradesperson in just 3.5 years. BRUNT’s tireless focus on comfort and quality, while maintaining a competitive price, coupled with its incredible brand power, has allowed the company to expand rapidly to not only become one of the fastest-growing companies in the US but also a household name on job sites across the country. BRUNT has 55 employees, has grown over 100% each year, and achieved a $120 million run rate in just its third year of business, which continues to rise each consecutive month.

Eric is the CEO of CrowdComfort

CrowdComfort transforms buildings into dynamic spaces that enhance the productivity and well-being of occupants and operational teams to drive the performance and experiences of building occupants. Their model is a real estate SaaS platform that communicates and measures the needs of occupants and those responsible for safe, comfortable, and productive workplaces.  CrowdComfort’s mobile-first solutions and analytics enable frontline facilities management teams and third-party vendors to validate their daily cleaning activities, facility requests, and scheduled inspections. This allows school districts, colleges & universities, and corporations to improve their environments' cleanliness, health and safety, and productivity while streamlining operations and better-allocating teams and resources that drive considerable cost and time savings.

CrowdComfort is trusted by some of the US's most prominent corporate occupiers and educational institutions. 

Brendan is the CEO and Founder of Cuseum

Cuseum helps hundreds of organizations drive visitor, member, and patron engagement using digital tools. Cuseum's software platform makes it easy for museums, attractions, and nonprofits to publish mobile apps, generate digital membership cards, and leverage data insights. Headquartered in Boston, the company is backed by leading investors, including Techstars. For more information, visit www.cuseum.com.

Peter is the CEO and Chairman of DemandScience

DemandScience is the premier B2B demand generation company accelerating global growth for businesses around the world. The DemandScience intelligence platform empowers B2B organizations to swiftly identify the right accounts and target in-market buyers with precision. By combining groundbreaking technologies, machine learning, and data science innovation, the company ensures timely delivery of accurate data, intelligence, and insights, adding value to the end-to-end journey from initial engagement to conversion. Founded in 2012, DemandScience provides 1,500 global customers with superior marketing solutions, B2B data, and leads. With a team of 600 employees across operations in seven countries, DemandScience is certified as a Great Place To Work and one of only 143 companies in history to be named to the Inc. 5000 for 10 consecutive years. 

Mike is the CEO of Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies is a provider of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) core systems to the property and casualty (“P&C”) insurance industry. Products offered include Duck Creek Policy, Duck Creek Billing, Duck Creek Claims, Duck Creek Rating, Duck Creek Insights, Duck Creek Distribution Management, Duck Creek Reinsurance Management, and Duck Creek Payments Platform. By offering one of the first full end-to-end core Insurance Suites as Software-as-a-Service in 2013, Duck Creek has been seen as a technology leader in the insurance industry and paved the way for the industry to modernize core applications and transition to the cloud.

Stephen is the CEO of FreightPlus

FreightPlus is an industry provider of data-driven transportation management, offering businesses customized and fully tailored managed transportation solutions in a boutique environment where clients get the individual attention they deserve. FreightPlus combines first-class customer service with innovative technology and industry best practices to help mid-size and growing companies work efficiently in the $800 Billion domestic transportation market.

Originating as transportation consultants, their goal remains saving clients money. Identifying challenges with middle-market and fast-growing companies such as compliance and market volatility, they refined their strategy. Investing in technology and assembling experts, they offer real-time solutions. Their team ensures clients navigate the volatile market efficiently. With pricing experts and process improvement, they drive productivity and savings.Their unique approach enables clients to provide superior service at below-market prices, enhancing their bottom line. Customers trust FreightPlus for timely and secure shipments. At FreightPlus, they redefine transportation management, empowering businesses to thrive.

Liang is the Founder, Chairperson, and CEO of HiFiBiO Therapeutics

HiFiBiO Therapeutics is a clinical-stage global biotech driving a robust clinical pipeline of transformative immunotherapies targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases. HiFiBiO achieves an unprecedented understanding of immune modulation in human diseases by pioneering a unique high-resolution translational platform, Drug Intelligence Science (DIS®), which combines unique single-cell capabilities with AI/ML approaches. Using patient samples, DIS® enables the discovery of novel targets, effective antibody drugs, and predictive biomarkers to enhance the probability of success for immunotherapies. Moreover, HiFiBiO has established partnerships with major multinational pharmaceutical and biotech companies and has been recognized as one of the 2023 Fierce 15 biotech companies. 

Marc is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Intentsify

Intentsify provides B2B organizations with the most accurate, comprehensive buyer-intent intelligence in the market today, and solutions to act on that intelligence. By delivering and activating proprietary, next-generation precision intent data, Intentsify’s Intelligence Activation Platform identifies companies exhibiting research behaviors directly related to your business solutions, pinpoints where they are in the buying process, surfaces the issues they care about most, and enables you to engage identified companies with full-funnel buying experiences that drive revenue.

Justin is the Founder and CEO of ISlide

ISlide creates premium custom slides, footwear, and apparel for any type of customer, including individuals purchasing one custom pair off our website or major retailers placing orders to go in stores across the country. ISlide's revolutionary print-on-demand processes allow for unmatched speed to the customer and unlimited potential for what customers can add to their slides and other products.  

Vanessa is the CEO, CMO and Co-Founder of Jaju Pierogi
Casey is the COO, CFO and Co-Founder of Jaju Pierogi

Founded by sisters Vanessa and Casey White using their grandfather's, or Jaju's (dziadziu's) recipes, Jaju Pierogi sells homemade-quality pierogi in approximately 2,000 stores nationwide. The sisters were lucky enough to have pierogi from their family deli always in the freezer, and people were constantly asking where they got them. They realized that there weren’t options in the grocery store - and that people were craving them. In addition to the strong nostalgic ties people have to pierogi, sales for convenient, high-quality ethnic foods are increasing year over year. Jaju Pierogi’s mission is to increase pierogi awareness and make these dumplings a household staple. It’s Pierogi’s time to shine!

Tony is the CEO and President of Nouria Energy Corporation

Nouria Energy Corporation distributes Wholesale fuel servicing retail and commercial accounts throughout the Northeast. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Nouria owns and operates 165+ c-store locations, 60+ car washes, and supplies branded and unbranded fuels to locations throughout the Northeast.

Kassia is the Owner, Executive Chairwoman, and Interim CEO of PF Flyers

Born in 1937,  PF sport styles were renowned for helping customers “run faster and jump higher.” The first insole was designed specifically for sport shoes, and was a footwear industry breakthrough in cushioning and support. Today, they design for all individuals. Their sneakers are modern and wearable, taking clear inspiration from our sportswear heritage. Comfort is still at the core of everything they design, and the result is a brand where form meets function in unexpected ways.

Josh is the CEO of Precisely

Precisely is today's leading data integrity company with a remarkable heritage. With more than 50 years of unmatched data expertise, they empower businesses to make more confident decisions based on data that’s trusted to have maximum accuracy, consistency, and context. They accomplish that through their unique combination of software, data, and data strategy services—a portfolio that’s earned high recognition from leading industry analysts and customers alike. Knowing that no two organizations are the same, their market-leading Data Integrity Suite is designed to be flexible, modular, and interoperable—meeting them wherever they're at on your journey to data integrity. Their comprehensive solutions for data integration, data quality, data governance, location intelligence, and data enrichment enable customers to reach new levels of business value. Today, Precisely powers better decisions for more than 12,000 global organizations, including 99 of the Fortune 100—and the possibilities continue to grow.

Taja is the Founder and Creative Director of Pulp+Wire

Founded over two decades ago by Taja Dockendorf, Pulp+Wire specializes in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector, emphasizing sustainable packaging and innovative solutions. With a deep commitment to driving growth and value for emerging brands, the agency stands at the forefront of market awareness and sustainable business practices. At the heart of Pulp+Wire's success is a culture of creativity, resilience, and a purpose-driven approach to business, fostering a team environment where talent flourishes. The agency's focus on developing and implementing strategies for a sustainable future has not only garnered a reputation for excellence but also inspired a movement towards more responsible and impactful brand development. Through a blend of strategic expertise, passionate leadership, and a dedication to positive change, Pulp+Wire continues to shape the future of branding for a better world.

Dr. Anastasia Volkova is CEO and Co-Founder of Regrow Ag
Dr. Bill Salas is Co-Founder and CSO of Regrow Ag

Regrow powers Agriculture Resilience across the supply chain of retailers, CPGs, processors, and farmers. Regrow’s global partners include Unilever, Nestlé, Cargill, General Mills, PepsiCo, and Kellanova. With Regrow’s Agriculture Resilience Platform, these companies can achieve their climate goals by measuring and reporting on the impact of on-farm emissions and implementing programs encouraging climate-positive farming practices. Sustainability programs powered by Regrow incentivize growers, e.g., smallholder rice farmers in Vietnam and cotton farmers in India, to implement climate-positive practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance crop resilience, and foster healthier soil.

Regrow’s platform enables customers to measure scope 3 emissions with up to 95% accuracy, create effective plans to reduce on-farm emissions, and substantiate environmental claims with the trust of leading carbon standards and protocols, including Verra, Climate Action Reserve, and SustainCERT.

Kyle is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rendever

Rendever is overcoming social isolation through the power of virtual reality and shared experiences. From senior living communities to hospitals, the platform is used to reduce depression and loneliness by fostering personal connections among populations where life has become limited. Participants in group sessions can check off bucket list items together, revisit meaningful places, share stories, stay engaged with family members, and more. Rendever is used by high-profile senior living operators including Revera, Benchmark, and SRG, healthcare systems such as UCHealth and Cleveland Clinic, has research funded by the NIH and NIA, and maintains commercial partnerships with major organizations like AARP and Verizon.

Dr. Andee Wallace is the Co-Founder and CEO of Robigo

Robigo's pioneering technology holds tremendous promise in addressing the pressing issue of food security on a global scale. Every year, growers spend over $80 billion on pesticides, yet still lose 20 - 40% of crops to pests and diseases. As the climate changes, these losses are expected to increase by 10 - 25% for every degree of atmospheric warming. By leveraging bioengineering and data science, Robigo is developing biological solutions that surpass traditional chemical standards, offering more effective and sustainable alternatives for crop protection and agricultural inputs. Robigo’s platform uses microbial strains, genetic tools, and bioactive payloads to empower agriculturally beneficial microbes to protect plants from disease more effectively without the need for chemical pesticides. In the long term, Robigo is working to use their platform to create more effective and sustainable bio-based solutions across the agricultural industry, including crop protection, biofertilization, and climate adaptation.

Brendan is the Co-Founder and CEO of SidelineSwap

SidelineSwap is an online marketplace that makes it easy for athletes, fans, and sports families to buy and sell their gear. They were founded by former athletes and coaches who set out to make sports more affordable after finding it hard to shop for quality used sports gear online. Since launching the marketplace in 2015, millions of athletes have joined their community to buy and sell more than $200 million worth of gear.

They recently partnered with leading sports retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods to power recommerce experiences where families can trade in their gear and receive an instant gift card for the value of their gear. SidelineSwap sits at the intersection of two very large markets—sporting goods and recommerce—and has positioned itself as the leader in the space.

At the heart of SidelineSwap is their seller community, which is made up of peer-to-peer sellers and small businesses. The average seller on SidelineSwap earns $716 per year, but many have built businesses that earn hundreds of thousands per year on the platform. They are a venture-backed startup that's raised $18 million to date, with recent strategic investments from DSG Ventures and eBay Ventures.

Christian is the CEO of SimpliSafe

At SimpliSafe, they protect more than four million people throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, and their protection goes beyond burglary. They offer their customers innovative, whole-home security solutions against everything from intruders to fires, water damage, and more. Their award-winning products are designed to disappear into customer homes while blanketing it with protection.

SimpliSafe is constantly innovating their products and services to provide their customers with next-level protection. From HD cameras and advanced sensors to their Fast Protect™ Monitoring service and 24/7 live guard protection feature, they are transforming home security from a reactive to a proactive service, stopping intruders in their tracks and enhancing their customers’ safety like never before.

They are also a growing company with a team of 1,200+ led by their CEO, Christian Cerda. They work across several locations, including their headquarters and R&D facility in Boston, their monitoring and customer support centers in Richmond, VA, and their UK operations in Manchester, England. SimpliSafe is primed to keep growing so that they can continue to disrupt the home security space, deliver innovative products and services to protect, and pursue their mission to make every home secure.

Bill is the Founder and CEO of Spindrift Beverage Co

As America’s first sparkling water made with real squeezed fruit, Spindrift’s overall approach is deliberate—often doing things the harder or more challenging way because it’s worth the desired outcome: starting with a delicious beverage that honors the ingredients inside the can. Pour out a Spindrift® sparkling water! You might be surprised to see Spindrift’s colorful liquid, which comes from the presence of real fruit, while other sparkling waters are clear.

Spindrift dares to have a few calories from fruit, but 0g added sugar, and no artificial flavors or coloring. Analogous to the slow food movement, creating a new Spindrift flavor takes up to two years of sourcing, tasting, meticulously formulating, and batching before making it onto the shelf for people to enjoy. With a product they are incredibly proud to offer, the internal sales team builds show-stopping displays by hand in retail locations across the nation. In terms of marketing, Spindrift’s community-based approach prioritizes authentic relationships and elbow grease over traditional advertising to keep the brand top of mind.

Molly is the CEO of The Mobile Locker Co

The Mobile Locker Co is the first mobile locker service in the US, started by their Founder + CEO as a solution to a pain point she faced herself—the need for a better solution for gear check during road races. Now with 17 locker and bag check trucks in their fleet, coast-to-coast coverage, and more than 2,100 activations annually, The Mobile Locker Co service competitive events, major stadiums and venues, festivals, expos, conferences, and more—anywhere you might need to #lockitup!

Mark is the Founder and CEO of Validity

For over 20 years, tens of thousands of organizations throughout the world have relied on Validity solutions to target, contact, engage, and keep customers—using trustworthy data as a key advantage. The Validity flagship products—DemandTools, Sender Certification, BriteVerify, Everest, GridBuddy Connect, and MailCharts—are all highly rated solutions for CRM data management, email monitoring and compliance, email address verification, inbox deliverability, and avoiding the spam folder, and grid CRM applications. These solutions deliver smarter campaigns, more qualified leads, more productive sales, and ultimately faster growth. For more information, visit Validity.com.

Craig is the CEO of Vecna Robotics

Vecna Robotics is an award-winning flexible, intelligent material handling automation company with solutions engineered for seamless work between autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and the labor, equipment, facilities, and systems that make business go. Their self-driving forklifts, pallet jacks, and tuggers—powered by Vecna’s Pivotal™ orchestration software and supported by a 24/7/365 Command Center—help distribution, warehousing, and manufacturing organizations automate their most critical workflows, maximize throughput, and scale operations fast. 

Arun is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Xceedance

Xceedance, established in 2013, specializes in leveraging AI and technology to drive insurance transformation. With an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $120M and a global footprint across North America, EMEA, and ANZ, the company has expanded its team to 3,500 and operates from eight international locations. Xceedance offers localized services and digital-first platforms to enhance operational efficiency and decision-making for insurance organizations, including commercial, personal, and specialty lines re/insurers, mutuals, program administrators, brokers and agents, and Lloyd’s of London entities. 

The company's expertise spans consulting, technology implementation, operations support, and analytics solutions, focusing on process digitalization and operational optimization across the insurance value chain. Over 70% of the Xceedance workforce comprises seasoned insurance professionals, ensuring deep industry insight and tailored solutions. Operating profitably without external equity, Xceedance is a key partner in the insurance sector, dedicated to fostering innovation and growth.

Amanda is the CEO of Zelis Healthcare

Zelis is modernizing the healthcare financial experience by providing a connected platform that bridges the gaps and aligns interests across payers, providers, and healthcare consumers. The platform serves 750 payers, including the top 5 national health plans, BCBS insurers, regional health plans, TPAs, and self-insured employers, plus millions of healthcare providers and consumers. Zelis sees across the system to identify, optimize, and solve problems holistically with technology built by healthcare experts – driving real, measurable results for clients.

Payers seek out Zelis solutions to support their most fundamental capabilities, including how they arrive at the optimal reimbursement for a healthcare claim, efficiently pay that claim, and explain the process to both providers and healthcare consumers. Providers benefit directly from a streamlined and accelerated payment process and data-rich remittance and payment information, and indirectly from a healthcare consumer that is more prepared for the healthcare financial journey. Healthcare consumers are empowered by the information Zelis provides, enabling them to make more informed decisions prior to care and to better understand the cost of their healthcare episode post-care.