Meet The Founders Heading To SXSW With Philly Startup Leaders

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A few weeks ago we mentioned that Philly Startup Leaders has a unique opportunity to send three companies led by founders from underrepresented backgrounds to SXSW 2020 - thanks to Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs.

In addition to the generous donation from Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs, new supporters from the PHL Innovation Picnic and Ballard Spahr, have granted us the opportunity to take SIX companies to SXSW (up from the initial three previously announced)! We are incredibly fortunate to work with partners who share in our mission to help current and future founders succeed.

Not only will these founders get to experience all that SXSW has to offer; they will also participate in Amplify Philly, which brings the best of Philly business, culture, and tech into the international spotlight. Philly Startup Leaders’ plays an active role in producing Amplify Philly, with Witty Gritty and REC Philly, and our primary focus this year was to get more startups to SXSW. We could not be more thrilled that this dream became a reality!

Keep reading to meet the founders heading to SXSW with us this year!


Tozuda is a head impact sensor manufacturing company based in Philadelphia. Their patented mechanical acceleration technology was developed to create the most affordable and reliable head impact sensors on the market for concussion awareness. The device attaches to the back of any helmet and will turn bright red if a user gets hit at a dangerous force level. Tozuda’s mission is to make safety simple and affordable to everyone susceptible to head injury; including athletes, construction workers, and service men and women. Tozuda is the Spanish word for hardheaded. All you have to remember is, if it’s RED, check your head!

Katika is the platform that allows you to search, find, and connect to black-owned products and services anywhere in the world. By leveraging the power of the Internet, mobile technologies, and an energized community, they are organizing and providing resources to connect and empower spirited entrepreneurs of the diaspora (African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino, and African-American).

Find local businesses and services for all of your needs like restaurants, lawyers, DJs, event planners, and so much more!

Leadovate is a personalized learning platform for students to write powerful college applications at a time when holistic review matters in admissions more than ever. Every student deserves quality education prep. High schoolers spend hours scouring blogs and national reports for relevant data as they apply to college, while the price of hiring an admissions consultant is on average $5,000. The goal is to increase access to quality admissions guidance without sacrificing a personalized learning experience. By making college application strategy more available, we put the power to apply in their hands. Co-Founder Lucas Del Priore.


“Ballard believes that the success of an emerging company requires more than legal expertise. We routinely provide our clients with creative solutions, resources, and introductions. Assisting the Amplify Philly movement by subsidizing the cost for Philly startups to attend SXSW is an example of Ballard’s passion, innovation, and community spirit. We sincerely believe in the power of Amplify Philly and Philly Startup Leaders.”


MD Ally is a non-emergency 911 navigation solution that allows EMS dispatchers and first responders to triage non-emergency patients to real-time, virtual care instead of unnecessarily dispatching an ambulance or transporting them to the ER. Each year, over half of 911 calls for Emergency Medical Services are for non-life-threatening medical concerns (est. 96 million). These calls decrease ambulance availability, overcrowd emergency rooms, and drive billions in excess costs for patients, payers, and public safety agencies.

Wearwell makes it easy to find clothing that fits your personal style and the difference you want to make in the world. We do this with a unique subscription service through which you can discover and purchase ethically and sustainably made clothing, curated just for you by a personal stylist. Fully launched in early 2019, wearwell has grown to over 500 current members and an audience of 10,000+. Members' purchases directly support the growth of clothing and accessory brands - located across 10 countries and counting - that pay garment workers and artisans fairly and make environmentally sustainable choices in their materials and manufacturing. Co-Founder Emily Kenney.

 Swirl is a Slack app that enables authentic connections at work between colleagues with similar interests and differences in personal identity to build a culture of inclusion and belonging. Every other week, Swirl thoughtfully matches you to a different colleague to get to know each other better over coffee, lunch, or video call. Over time, Swirl measures changes in employee engagement and perceptions of belonging and inclusion at your workplace to equip your team with insights that can drive strategy and decisions about company culture. Co-Founder Mansi Pathak.


“From the start, the PHL Innovation Picnic has been about celebrating every facet of Philadelphia’s community of innovation, while supporting our emerging innovators. The Picnic and its partners are proud to help spread a little of that light with friends both new and familiar, by supporting Amplify Philly in helping our region’s companies shine at SXSW! “


Philly Startup Leaders