Founder Fridays - Meet the Founders of Ready To Grow, Drape Fit and Juan Pistolas
A look at the founders of three promising startups.
Welcome to our end-of-the-week edition of Startup Deal Desk – Founder Fridays!
Every Friday, we highlight several promising startups and the founders behind them.
Our goal is to foster connections between innovative founders and prospective investors, providing a community where both sides can learn (and potentially earn) from each other.
If you saw our Tuesday issue, you’re probably familiar with:
Ready To Grow and CEO/President Kent Feldman
Drape Fit and Co-founder/CEO Sukhendu Mukherjee
Juan Pistolas and President John Panichello
And if you’re not, we’re going to share a bit more about them. Enjoy!
1️⃣ How Kent Feldman is transforming agriculture with Ready To Grow’s innovative plant nutrition solutions
Kent Feldman grew up on a farm, so it’s no surprise that he has over 40 years of experience in agriculture, on-farm agronomy and soil chemistry. Whether it is a crop that is new to the market like hemp or the staple crops of corn and soybeans, Kent believes they all need to be grown in a healthy sustainable way that is also profitable for the farmer. That’s why he joined Ready To Grow’s mission in offering growers sustainable methods to increase yields and improve a farm’s ROI.
Ready To Grow specializes in sustainable agriculture solutions by enhancing crop productivity through innovative plant nutrition products. Their flagship product, Micro Provide, introduces microbe strains, fungi, and biostimulants into the soil to improve nutrient availability, enhance root activity, and boost plant health and stress tolerance. It also decreases the need for synthetic fertilizers, keeping the soil healthy.
Ready To Grow’s Micro Provide has passed 50 field trials in farms across Michigan with a 100% success rate. Growers experienced up to 28% increase in yields and consequently, achieved 10x in ROI. The product also has a competitive price point at $15 per acre, contains more nutritious microbes, and has a 5-year shelf life – much longer than other similar products on the market. The company is post-revenue, post-profit, and now raising between $3M+ to bring its products to a larger market.
Find out more about Ready To Grow here. Check out their deck here.
Click below to book a meeting with Kent Feldman.
2️⃣ Sukhendu Mukherjee offers an effortless personal styling service with Drape Fit’s customized subscription boxes
Sukhendu Mukherjee has an extensive background in e-commerce and retail, and is particularly passionate about integrating style and technology. He holds an Information Technology degree and was a consultant at Bank of America as a solutions architect for 11 years. Sukhendu founded Drape Fit in 2018 and has led with the vision to make personal styling more accessible and budget-friendly while catering to a diverse range of body types, ages, and style preferences.
Drape Fit is an online personal styling service that provides curated fashion boxes tailored to individual preferences and budgets. The company uses a combination of data science and professional stylists to offer personalized clothing selections. The service offers styling for various body types, genders, and ages, focusing on affordability compared to other styling services. Each "Fit Box" includes a range of clothing and accessories, with a focus on convenience and personalization.
Drape Fit is no small operation. They’re a big team of ~300 people on track to ship 160K Fit Boxes in 2025 with $18.4M in forecasted revenue. They’ve also been featured in Houston's Modern Luxury magazine as Houston's Top Style Setters. The company puts a big focus on developing its proprietary AI technology that provides better, faster and lower-cost style matching and inventory management. To scale operations, Drape Fit is now raising a Seed round.
Get more information about Drape Fit here. Check out their deck here.
Click below to book a meeting with Sukhendu Mukherjee.
3️⃣ John Panichello is bringing unique products to the alcoholic beverage Industry desperate for innovation with Juan Pistolas
John Panichello is an entrepreneur with vast experience in various fields, including specialty retail, private equity, real estate and fintech. After getting his MBA in Finance from Drexel University, he started his career as the EVP of GameStop, the largest specialty retailer of video games in the world. John also built and led BC Sports, the largest specialty retailer of sports memorabilia and related products in the world, with over 50 stores throughout the East Coast, Texas and California.
Today, John is the President and Chief Tasting Officer at Juan Pistolas, an importer, distributor and retailer of premium Tequilas as well as other fine wine and spirits. Juan Pistolas is also the first to market tequila double shot six packs – portable, shatterproof shot vessels containing premium tequila. The high-quality tequila is sourced from a distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, known for its use of 100% blue agave.
After successfully launching its six-pack tequila shots in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Juan Pistolas plans to expand into 6 additional markets by the end of 2025. The brand is also set to introduce 750 mL bottles of premium tequila, with their Tequila Paloma Seltzers being just accepted in 10 PA State stores. The company is now raising up to $1M in Seed funding to expand their footprint and diversify their product lineup. Investors in this stage can enjoy a 20% discount in the next round of fundraising.
Learn more about Juan Pistolas here. Check out their deck here.
Click below to book a meeting with John Panichello.
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Until next time!