Welcome to the official launch of Chucktown Startups!
We've spent the last few months gauging interest from the local business community in an inclusive, locally focused organization with a mission to promote, support, and connect Charleston's entrepreneurs. With apologies to the reality show Survivor, the tribe has spoken... with a resounding interest level of YES!
Not only has the local founder community spoken, but so have local investors, local governments, and the existing startup ecosystem. They understand that we are all in this together, and the more collaboration, support, and awareness we can create, the better the outcome will be for the Lowcountry as a whole.
➤ Measuring the Interest
- 164 company profiles created to date
- 1,035 LinkedIn followers to date
- 64 startups seeking outside investment
- Inquiries from 15 local investment groups on how to support the community
➤ What to expect from the community moving forward
Now that we are officially launched, here's what you can expect to see from us in the coming weeks and months:
- Twice monthly newsletters focused on the local founders, their businesses, and the local entrepreneurial community.
- Both in person (IRL) and online programming focused on networking, education, and funding.
- A monthly podcast... more details coming this week!
- More resources for members, including the Capital Connectors listing and the Friends of Chucktown preferred service providers list
- Expanded membership level options providing additional value for interested members. Example: Funding accelerator memberships
- Community Job Board
➤ In this edition of the Chuckdown Rundown
- Member Profile Spotlight: Title AI, founded by Jack Teitel
- Friends of Chucktown Preferred Service Provider Spotlight: Carter Lewis of In the Fade
- Members in the News
- Upcoming Member-sponsored Events
- New Community Members
- Members Actively Fundraising
- Five Founder Questions Feature: Kelly Waldren of One-Party Rental
➤ Member Profile Spotlight:
At Title AI, we help businesses who are interested in AI actually do it. Run by Jack Teitel, a former professor of AI with nearly 12 years of experience applying AI in industry.
We work with businesses of all sizes, although we tend to focus on small to mid sized businesses.
We are comfortable executing any AI project in any industry, although we tend to focus on 4 key areas:
- Healthcare AI
- Computer Vision
- Agents & Custom Language Models
- AI Strategy
Our focus is on integrating AI into your business in a way that adapts to your businesses specific needs and workflows. We believe business understanding is paramount, as you need the right tool used in the right way to really achieve significant long-term ROI.
Contact Jack Teitel at jack@title-ai.com
➤ Friends of Chucktown Preferred Service Provider Spotlight:
Carter Lewis, In the Fade (Branding and Design Services)
Contact Carter Lewis at carter@inthefade.co
➤ Member News
➤ Upcoming Member-sponsored Events
➤ New Community Members (Since Chucktown 150 was published)
➤ Actively Fundraising
- KingPool (Jake Merhige): NextGen fantasy sports app - making fantasy sports more engaging, accessible, and modern
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- 890 Capital (Frank Conway): 890 Capital is a private real estate lending firm providing short-term, asset-backed loans to investors—offering passive 10%+ returns to accredited investors while supporting fix-and-flip projects across the Southeast.
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- $15MM / Debt Fund Returning 10% APY
- South Foundry Ventures (Josh Lambert): South Foundry Ventures mission is to deliver exceptional returns by strategically investing in a curated selection of high-quality properties that stand out in today’s competitive market.
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- $20MM / Preferred Class A Shares / July 1, 2026 Close
- Apastioli (Joe Gallagher): Scaling an Italian spaghetti sauce manufacturing company that outgrew production capacity within 7 months because of unprecedented demand without advertising.
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➤ Five Founder Questions with:
1. What is your startup's elevator pitch?
One Party Rental is the go-to platform for busy parents planning extra fun kids’ parties. We bring trusted local vendors together in one simple, streamlined place, so you can book everything from bounce houses to balloon artists without the back-and-forth. Whether you're hosting or helping, we make it easier to celebrate.
2. What is your ideal customer profile and plan to reach them?
Parents & caregivers planning a kids party. My plan is to have extra strong SEO, Google Ads and social media (primarily Instagram and Pinterest)
3. What is the next key milestone in your startup's journey?
Launch to vendors in July
4. How can Chucktown Startups and the local startup community best support your startup?
Promote, connect me with potential vendors and other businesses that may help my growth
5. Wildcard- What else would you like the community to know about you and your startup?
I'm hoping to build community and vendor awareness through One Party Rental - not just make it easier for customers to plan their parties!
➤ Invitation to Reach Out
I haven't had a chance to meet every founder in person yet, but I'd like to! Please reach out to schedule an in-person or Zoom meeting. Feel free to email me at toby@chucktownstartups.com or text 843-830-7452.
Thanks for being part of Chucktown Startups. We’re excited to see what happens next as we connect the dots in Charleston’s growing startup scene!
Cheers!
Toby Palmer, Founder
Chucktown Startups: Promote. Support. Connect.
