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Flashstarts and StartMart Acquire Shannon Lyons from LaunchHouse

We are proud to announce the appointment of Shannon Lyons as Flashstarts’ Executive Vice President. In addition to managing team recruitment and due diligence for our coming 2015 Accelerator Program, Shannon will pioneer the formation of a $15 million StartMart Fund.

With this Fund, StartMart will be able to invest in our region’s startups both financially and through provision of resources, connections, and office space. See the press release below for more details.

Flashstarts and StartMart Acquire Shannon Lyons from LaunchHouse

As Executive Vice President, Lyons Will Initiate New $15M StartMart Fund

CLEVELAND, April 21, 2015 – Flashstarts, a startup accelerator and venture fund in Cleveland, today announced the appointment of Shannon Lyons as its new Executive Vice President. Lyons was most recently chief business development officer and partner at LaunchHouse.

As Flashstarts’ Executive Vice President, Lyons will pioneer the formation of a $15 million venture fund for StartMart, an initiative led by Flashstarts to create a multi-purpose innovation center for entrepreneurs and startup resources in Cleveland. Like the proposed 30,000 square-foot StartMart space, the StartMart Fund will support the most promising technology companies in Northeast Ohio and recruit talented entrepreneurs from around the world.

“With an overarching seed fund, we have the ability to invest in a wide range of tech startups,” said Lyons. “Our Flashstarts Accelerator creates new tech companies in Cleveland, and the powerful combination of the StartMart space and StartMart Fund will help keep tech companies here.”

StartMart Fund will raise $15 million from private individuals and institutions, and Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio. 

“StartMart is more than a building,” said Charles Stack, Flashstarts’ co-founder and CEO. “It’s a force to vitalize Cleveland’s startup ecosystem and provide access to critical resources, which include capital. Combining Shannon’s experience at LaunchHouse with our experience raising annual $2.5 million funds enable Flashstarts to greatly increase our regional impact.”

While at LaunchHouse, Lyons ran the 2012 – 2014 LaunchHouse Accelerator programs, secured $650,000 through grant writing in the past three years, and supported and invested in over 30 startups. She has advised Fortune 500 companies on strategy and innovation through Innovatree, a consulting firm she founded in 2007. Lyons has a master’s in Organizational Development & Analysis from Case Western Reserve University and is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration through Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business where she is researching strategy and entrepreneurship.

“Shannon has an unparalleled well-rounded background that will create new opportunities for Flashstarts,” said Stack, who felt that Lyons was the “obvious choice” when he and co-founder Jennifer Neundorfer decided to expand their team.

Lyons’ decision to transition to Flashstarts originated with her interest in StartMart.

“When I first heard about StartMart earlier this year, it was clear that Charles, Jennifer and I share a perspective on the needs of Cleveland’s entrepreneurs and a vision for the startup ecosystem,” said Lyons. “Through conversations with them about StartMart and how I could help to bring the concept to fruition, I started to see great opportunity in working for Flashstarts – one of the smartest and strongest startup players in Cleveland.”

In addition to the StartMart Fund, Lyons will be responsible for recruiting teams for the Flashstarts Accelerator, conducting due diligence on potential investments and business development for Flashstarts through grant writing. She will also provide teams with advice and coaching alongside Stack and Neundorfer.

“Shannon Lyons has an extraordinary ability to both select and support entrepreneurs,” said CEO and founder of ExpenseBot Ed Buchholtz, who has worked with Lyons at LaunchHouse. “Her grounded, ego-free intelligence and work ethic make her the ideal thought-partner for startup entrepreneurs. Flashstarts is unbelievably fortunate to be adding her to their list of assets.”


 

About Flashstarts

Flashstarts is a Cleveland-based startup accelerator and venture fund focused on unique and innovative uses of software and technology. Startups will benefit from Flashstarts’ executive team’s deep expertise in Enterprise and Healthcare IT, Gigabit Fiber applications, mobile and digital publishing and media. Flashstarts’ rigorous 12-week summer accelerator program is powered by rapid cycles of feedback and iteration, customized guidance from dedicated coaches, an extensive network of top-tier, experienced mentors, and an award-winning internship program. For more information, visit www.flashstarts.com or follow @Flashstarts on Twitter.

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View the Media Kit for PDF press release, and biography and headshot for Shannon Lyons.

For media inquiries, contact Grace Moenich
Director of Public Relations, Flashstarts
(440) 539-0930
grace.moenich@flashstarts.com

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