Carl Starkey and Paul Lehmann, West Chester dadtrepreneurs who run their sustainable sauce and condiment company, have secured a spot in the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars, writes Kennedy Rose for the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Starkey and Lehmann both have career ties to Westtown School, West Chester; the former is lacrosse coach, and the latter was co-director of athletics.
They are now concentrating on their roles as founders of AWSM Sauce. Their product is a sustainable powder-based condiments line that can be mixed in its reusable and compostable bottles.
The startup makes ketchup, ranch, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, and soy sauce.
As part of the Twins/Techstars Accelerator — which chose ten companies that operate at the crossroads of technology, sports, and entertainment — AWSM Sauce will receive funding, mentorship, and workshops.
Starkey and Lehmann began focusing on the sustainable side of sauces and condiments after they realized how much single-use plastic they generate. They designed their products to reduce plastic waste and also reduced the shipping weight by removing the water that comprises most store-shelf sauces.
Once they had a prototype of their dry-pack sauce mixes, the men quit their academic-sports jobs last summer.
Read more about Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars and AWSM Sauce in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
