Cultivene, Steward: Jumpstart Team Introductions

Like machine-learning algorithms in artificial intelligence, businesses need to learn and overcome obstacles constantly. 

From the farm to the production line to the small business shop, these two startups are adapting in the age of AI to create solutions for underrepresented areas.

Cultivene

Cultivene’s founder Julia McCurry was inspired by fond memories of visiting her grandparents’ vineyard.

“It was my favorite place to be,” McCurry said. “They were great hosts, and they were great at bringing people in and gathering [them] around the table.”

McCurry saw how controlled farmers were on the supply side; with consolidating wholesale buyers and input suppliers limiting revenue, farmers were pushed to go directly to consumers to remain profitable. With Cultivene, an AI-based platform that helps farmers host local events on their farms, McCurry and COO Khushi Surana hope to help farmers diversify their revenue streams. 

“Bringing customers and community members onto their farms is, one, a really good source of revenue, and two, a really great way to build loyalty and engagement,” Surana said. “But we found that they just don't have the time to do so because they're working really long hours, or they don't know exactly how to go about building these farm experiences.”

Surana sees the startup as one of the first in its field and the most accessible and thorough for its price. From event types to logistics to vendors, Cultivene aids farmers through every step of the process.

“I wouldn't even really call them competitors because they're either high-end luxury or they'll give you a pamphlet on how to host the event, but they won't actually help a farmer with any of it,” Surana said. “We're probably one of the first in this industry at least, and we haven't really seen it be done with AI at all yet.”

At Jumpstart, the two are working on a beta program using Claude, tinkering with it to be accessible to farmers who are constantly working in the fields, and figuring out how to create the multifaceted tools of Cultivene. They are also acquiring customers by going out into the literal field and talking to farmers. 

At the end of the day, McCurry and Surana are glad to be surrounded by a wide variety of entrepreneurs and startups at Jumpstart.

“The cohort is also very cool with lots of different ideas and products, whether they're physical or more software-based,” Surana said. “It is very exciting to be around.”

Steward

“It started with a Facebook Marketplace listing,” Steward’s co-founder Rani Joudeh said.

Joudeh and two of his friends put up a listing: A Mac Mini with their help setting it up using OpenClaw agents. The mini desktop computer would be able to do any task people wanted, as long as the three coded it right. 

4,000 clicks and dozens of people’s responses later, the trio realized the potential of AI for helping small-to-medium-sized business operators. After months of chasing ideas and building, the three committed to Steward.

Steward is an AI agent that runs hair salons on “autopilot.” By aggregating data, workflows, and knowledge from expert salon owners to create an AI platform, Joudeh and co-founder Daniel Killioglu hope that small business owners will be able to have more time to do what they love, instead of figuring out logistics.

“We saw that the owner-operators are always behind the chair,” Killioglu said. “They don't have time to talk, they don't have time for lunch most of the time, and that's why we decided that this would be a good investment of our time.”

Over the summer, the team will continue working on programming Steward and acquiring clients. While Steward is already working with salons like Art+Science, the team is expanding their clientele by booking appointments, cold-calling, and talking to owners. They say going out in the field and working with small and medium business owners has been a fulfilling experience full of surprises that they would’ve never had otherwise.

“It's super cool to know that we're building for an industry that has historically been overlooked,” Joudeh said. “Especially in the AI industry, the focus has been on big enterprise, although small business operators really need the most help.”

Jumpstart not only invests in the business, but the people in it too. Joudeh and Killioglu are determined to see Steward succeed. In their words, they only have two options: “to make it, or make it.” 

“I’ve always liked people that bet on themselves,” Killioglu said. “I've always wanted to put myself in a position where I can do that, and I feel like this is the first time where I am going all in on myself.”

Killioglu isn’t the only person who is putting their all into their startup. Jumpstart gives space, funds, and an entrepreneurial community to allow the 10 teams to devote themselves to the businesses of the future.

Jumpstart is The Garage's summer pre-accelerator program for student teams to work full-time on their projects with hands-on mentorship and a stipend.