by Mehr Sokhanda
Altitude Accelerator’s Fall 2024 Market Readiness Program celebrated the success of yet another outstanding cohort of driven entrepreneurs.
We congratulate Shiv Shankar, CEO of EaseworkAI, Korede Adegboye, Founder of Culinary Compass, Azadeh Zereshkian, Vice President of Operations at Circuit Edge Inc., and Ali, Founder of Drivisa.
Here are highlights from each founder’s journey:
Shiv Shankar, CEO of EaseworkAI
Shiv Shankar is a dynamic entrepreneur with over 16 years of experience in global manufacturing, bringing extensive expertise in B2B sales, marketing strategies, and business growth. Since 2020, he has been on an entrepreneurial journey, founding two startups and gaining practical insights into building and scaling businesses from the ground up.
EaseworkAI
EaseworkAI is focused on transforming procurement and supply chain operations for businesses through AI-powered automation and intelligence. They are creating an AI- first “CONNECTED PROCUREMENT” platform, leveraging proprietary fine-tuned models to automate supplier collaboration, augment decision-making, and reduce operational costs.
Their solutions are tailored to address daily business challenges such as manual procurement tasks, supplier discovery & onboarding, RFX management, inventory forecasting, and category management. With a modular and scalable approach, they’ve already delivered tangible ROI by saving thousands of hours and reducing operational costs for clients, including Fortune 100 companies.
What Shiv Shankar had to say about Altitude Accelerator:
“Altitude Accelerator has played a key role in gaining valuable mentorship from industry leaders and refining our GTM approach. Through regular consultations with the dedicated Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR), we have honed our abilities to engage with customers and investors effectively. The weekly sales & marketing sessions offered a structured approach to refining our GTM and sales strategies. The program provided us
with valuable tools that enable us to improve our market positioning and execute GTM strategies with a focus on driving value for our customers and investors. Highly recommended.”
Culinary Compass – Korede Adegboye, Founder
Korede Adegboye, founder of Culinary Compass, blends a deep appreciation for global cuisine with technical expertise. With a background in data science and statistics, Korede’s vision was inspired by observing diners struggle with unfamiliar menus during countless dining experiences across the GTA. Determined to bridge this gap, Korede created Culinary Compass, a platform designed to make international dining experiences approachable and enjoyable.
Culinary Compass
Culinary Compass transforms how people navigate diverse cuisines by translating complex menus into personalized recommendations. The platform serves as a trusted guide, helping diners understand unfamiliar dishes and discover flavors that match their unique taste preferences.
For local independent restaurants, Culinary Compass enhances guest experiences by providing cultural and flavor insights that support staff efforts. A loyalty rewards program prioritizes in-person dining, ensuring more revenue stays with businesses by reducing reliance on third-party platforms.
For international brands, Culinary Compass offers insights into audience preferences, helping bridge cultural gaps and adapt traditional dishes to local tastes.
What Korede Adegboye had to say about Altitude Accelerator
“The Market Readiness Program was pivotal in transforming me from a technical founder into a business-oriented leader. Through mentorship and peer collaboration, I gained actionable strategies for market validation and customer discovery, helping Culinary Compass evolve into a focused solution with clear buyer personas and targeted messaging.
Mentors like Kevin Smith, Hessie Jones, and Mark Elliot were invaluable, guiding me in aligning our product roadmap with market needs and establishing systematic approaches for sales and growth. The program not only refined our value proposition but also provided the tools to build a strong foundation for scaling Culinary Compass.”
Explore global cuisines with Culinary Compass – your guide to confident and enriching dining experiences.
Azadeh Zereshkian, Vice President of Operations at Circuit Edge Inc.
Azadeh Zereshkian is a seasoned Chemical Engineer and Quality Leader, currently serving as the Vice President of Operations at Circuit Edge Inc. With over 20 years of hands-on experience in Quality Operations within the Pharmaceutical and Vaccine manufacturing sectors, Azadeh has built a distinguished career marked by her dedication to excellence and innovation.
Azadeh’s deep-rooted passion for public health drives her commitment to advancing innovative technologies. She is currently working on an engineering solution to address Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) associated with sink traps in patient rooms using a copper-ion continuous disinfecting approach.
Circuit Edge
Circuit Edge designs and manufactures infection control devices. Its flagship product, Intelligent Sink Trap, employs patented copper ion technology to consistently disinfect the P-trap, an area prone to the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to stagnant water.
The backsplash from sinks are linked to severe cases of Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) that burden the healthcare industry and cause significant patient risk. The copper ion technology used actively reduces bioburden with the goal of breaking the biofilm formation cycle and reducing the risk of wash sink backsplash resulting in infection breakouts in patient rooms.
What Azadeh Zereshkian had to say about Altitude Accelerator:
“Altitude’s Market Readiness Program has been a valuable experience for me and beneficial to our company, Circuit Edge. The program provided resource information, collaboration opportunities, networking opportunities with other founders through small group discussions, suggested different relevant conferences/talks, and invited subject matter experts to speak about different aspects of running a start-up such as cyber security and presenting to venture capitalists.
The sales and marketing instructors helped me learn and round out my skills specifically in the areas that I had less experience in. The new learnings have provided me another lens to view Circuit Edge and how to prepare to go to market. The educational sessions provided a supportive environment for the founders to bounce ideas on different topics with each other and share experiences. The program has been engaging, and I benefited from attending. I highly recommend this program to new startup founders, particularly those for whom sales and marketing is not their forte.”
Ali, Founder of Drivisa
Ali is an experienced professional with a strong background in finance and business management. Holding both an MBA and a master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Queen’s University, he brings over a decade of experience in strategy, sales, and operations. His career spans three years in small-to-medium enterprises and eight years with leading consumer goods companies, including P&G and Nestle in the UAE. This diverse expertise positions him uniquely to drive innovative solutions in the education and training sector.
Drivisa
Drivisa is a platform and marketplace that connects students with MTO-approved driving instructors. It provides both approved driving instructors and driving students a fluid, flexible, and monetary incentive to plan, implement, and fast-track their learning and teaching experience.
It’s a safe and frictionless tool for driving students to get their driver’s license hassle- free, without having to go to a physical driving school, fill in papers, and wait for weeks before they start their first driving lesson. Drivisa allows students to pick their instructor based on availability, language, practice car, and preferred package, all while prioritizing safety and security for students.
What Ali had to say about Altitude Accelerator:
“The Market Readiness Program helped the Drivisa team on three main fronts: First, being around other startups and understanding different perspectives on how to market and sell a product. Second, getting new ideas and aligning with coaches on developing marketing and sales plans tailored to Drivisa’s line of business, customer target, and personas. The third and final front is the stamp of approval that the coaches provided for our existing ideas, with little tweaks, retouches, and fine-tuning those plans.
By the end of the program, we were set with a solid marketing and sales plan. By crossing over those obstacles, Drivisa and its product are set to find funding to implement and grow its business across Ontario and Canada.”
Market Readiness Means Empowering Startup Founders
The Market Readiness Program by Altitude Accelerator is designed to empower innovative tech startups ready to scale by building strong sales and marketing pipelines. This intensive 12-week hybrid program focuses on equipping founders with actionable strategies to refine their MVP, conduct beta testing, and establish robust marketing and
sales foundations. With weekly virtual workshops led by industry experts, participants will craft targeted communication strategies for their ideal buyers and optimize their sales processes for growth.
Beyond training, the program offers personalized mentorship through coaching sessions with Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and advisory deep dives tailored to cohort needs. Participants gain access to a dynamic community of CEOs, strategic partners, and investors, fostering collaboration and networking opportunities. Whether you’re launching or scaling your business, the Market Readiness Program provides the tools, mentorship, and connections needed to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
We are now accepting applications for our Winter Cohort Market Readiness Program. Apply here.
