WORCESTER, MA — Ten ventures from Worcester and nearby communities have been selected for the 2026–2027 StartUp Worcester cohort, the 12th year of a program run by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and WorcLab.
The cohort includes projects focused on healthcare access for freelance artists, support for families of people with developmental disabilities, youth mentorship, transportation and artisan bread. Other participants work in website strategy, software, wellness, consulting and legal services.
The selected ventures are:
- Artist Health Coverage, led by Magdelene Barjolo, is developing ways to help freelance creatives access affordable health coverage.
- Avanza Ability Partners Inc., founded by Mayerling De La Rosa and two partners, provides bilingual support for families of people with developmental disabilities.
- Born For More, founded by Michaelangelo Shavies, combines youth mentorship with a gamified learning platform.
- Dewar Performance, founded by Melissa Dewar, offers search-engine optimization and website strategies for contractors and service providers.
- Golden Transportation and Logistics LLC, founded by Navy veteran Maxwell Adu-Boakye, is preparing to offer non-medical transportation for veterans, older adults and people with disabilities in Worcester County.
- Greenhouse Bread, founded by head baker Vanthara Hill with technical support from David Hill, is a Millbury bakery working to complete municipal licensing before selling sourdough at local markets and pop-ups.
- Lexagy LLC, founded by Raymond Carville, is testing a family reading and community-sharing platform ahead of a planned November 2026 launch.
- My Collective, founded by Crystal McGlynn, offers mindfulness, movement and art programs from its Sturbridge studio and is working to expand its corporate wellness services.
- Vanguard Insight, co-founded by Andrew and Jacqueline Swenson, is a Worcester consulting firm focused on operations and workforce development.
- Wuoti Law LLC, founded by Amanda Wuoti, provides contract legal services in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Chamber says the firm generated $45,000 in its first year and serves roughly 30 active clients.
StartUp Worcester is a joint program of the Chamber and WorcLab. Participants receive memberships to both organizations, access to coworking space, mentorship and opportunities to build business connections and pursue fundraising. The program’s sponsors for 2026–2027 are M&T Bank and Millstone Law.
The Chamber said the cohort’s programming begins in October. More information about the ventures is available on the Chamber’s 2026–2027 cohort page.
🔎 W.U.W. Verification Box
Project / Topic: StartUp Worcester’s 2026–2027 cohort
Current Status: Ten ventures selected for the program.
Key Dates or Decisions: The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the cohort on Oct. 5, 2026.
Estimated Cost: Not provided.
Timeline: Programming begins in October 2026; the cohort is for 2026–2027.
Immediate Next Steps: Participants begin program activities.
Primary Sources: Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce cohort page; StartUp Worcester program page.
What We Do Not Yet Know: Not provided.
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