02.11.21
STRE.ME Accepted into Techstars Social Impact Accelerator
Jack Patton, Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, STRE.ME
Fort Wayne-based STRE.ME has been accepted into Cox Enterprises Social
Impact Accelerator Powered by Techstars. Now in its second year, the Techstars program has
shifted focus to support companies addressing social justice and systemic racism issues. The
three-month program will provide virtual mentoring, funding and global connections to 10 for-profit, mission-driven companies.
STRE.ME is the first Fort Wayne company to be accepted into this prestigious and selective
international program. STRE.ME creates and certifies cultures of aware, accountable, and
engaged employees who promote equitable outcomes to improve safety, health, education,
and innovation. Organizational leaders use STRE.ME’s implicit bias management (IBM) platform
to scale individualized and confidential education experiences. STRE.ME participants learn what
implicit biases they have, how to manage them, and are held accountable for applying what
they learn. STRE.ME’s mission is to create cultures of awareness and accountability and its
vision is to help the world promote equitable outcomes.
Strategic mentorships with Cox business leaders and experts will help bring Techstars
participant’s ideas to market, boost their early-stage businesses, grow their networks and
prepare them to pitch their company’s ideas to potential investors at a Demo Day presentation
on April 29, 2021.
“There are many solutions that claim to help find and reduce implicit bias, but none of them
help manage progress, engage employees regularly, and hold people accountable like STRE.ME
does. I am super excited about the impact this product will have on the future of inclusion and
equity in our workforce.” – Barry Givens, Managing Director for Cox Enterprises Social Impact
Accelerator Powered by Techstars
Jack Patton, co-founder and chief executive officer, launched STRE.ME to simplify behavior
change through accountability and has served in multiple leadership positions during his career.
He is a graduate of Indiana University, Northwestern University, and the New School University.
STRE.ME’s Co-Founder and Chief Equity Officer Anne Marie Labenberg is a registered nurse,
serial entrepreneur with multiple successful exits, and has trained over 15k individuals in
implicit bias training, specifically in health, across the U.S. She is well versed in change
management theory and application, advocates for under-served populations, and tackles
health challenges as a practitioner
“It is exciting to be a part of Techstars and to be a part of an amazing cohort of innovative
changemakers,” said Labenberg. “We will grow in ways we cannot even imagine and are
grateful for this opportunity.”
“It’s exciting and humbling to join the Techstars network, especially with this group of
incredibly smart, hard-working, and talented founders,” said Patton. “There’s so much to learn
and do that focusing on social impact with Techstars has already expanded our knowledge,
network, and reach in the best ways possible. Cox Enterprises and Techstars provide incredible
advocacy, mentorship, and access to resources that are tremendously helpful to STRE.ME’s
mission to create culture of awareness and accountability.”
About STRE.ME
Everyone has implicit biases that never go away and contribute to significant human, social, and
economic costs because of how they influence the way we think, behave, and communicate.
This is why STRE.ME equips individuals to improve interactions, decisions, and communication
with others by learning how to manage their implicit biases. STRE.ME enables organizational
leaders to create cultures of awareness and accountability that promote equitable outcomes.
STRE.ME is the culmination of research and real-world applications from its leaders, all of
whom have unique skill sets. When combined, the leadership team and advisors complement
STRE.ME’s mission to create cultures of awareness and accountability.
About Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is dedicated to building a better future through our leading communications,
automotive and media companies. Our major operating subsidiaries include Cox
Communications and Cox Automotive, and we are strategically investing in new industries and
emerging technologies, with sizeable interests in clean technology and health care.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with nearly $20 billion in annual
revenues and brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Cox Homelife. Founded in
1898 by Ohio Governor James M. Cox, the company is a family-owned business committed to
its people, communities and planet. To learn more about Cox, visit coxenterprises.com, view
our Sustainability Report at coxcsrreport.com, or follow us on Twitter via @CoxEnterprises or
@AlexTaylor_Cox.
About Techstars
Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Techstars founders
connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders, and
corporations to grow their companies. Techstars operates three divisions: Techstars Startup
Programs, Techstars Mentorship-Driven Accelerator Programs, and Techstars Corporate
Innovation Partnerships. Techstars accelerator portfolio includes more than 1,900 companies
with a market cap of more than $25 billion.
