Austin Clements

Last month, we welcomed the Friends & Family 2026 cohort to @SlausonAndCo HQ for a 3-day kick-off. The group is made up entirely of consumer founders who design with intention and care deeply about improving the day-to-day experiences of the people they are building for. In addition to connecting with each other to set the tone for the next 6 months, they got to meet their coaches, who each bring incredible operator + founder + investor perspective from starting, scaling, and exiting some of the biggest consumer companies in the world. They got to spend real time with the Slauson team, learn about each other’s businesses, and dive straight into building a strong foundation for a venture-scalable company. We took a field trip to @HOORAEMedia Studios in Inglewood for a fireside chat with award-winning creator, producer, and serial entrepreneur Issa Rae, as well as a special session on leadership from former CPO of @Mailchimp @saralouhicks. We also hosted A Night With Slauson at Lost Rooftop in DTLA to bring our broader network of LA tech operators, investors, and portfolio founders together and show what the community we’ve built is all about. We're excited to see what this cohort continues to build throughout the program. Want to learn more or connect with any of our founders? Read about them on our Substack: open.substack.com/pub/slausonand… Or reach us at programs@slauson.co

"Ron discovered how to be the investor of the future by accident. He didn't foresee the future of startup investing, realize it would pay to be upstanding, and force himself to behave that way. It would feel unnatural to him to behave any other way." paulgraham.com/ronco.html

We spend a lot of time thinking before we invest. Studying sectors, stress-testing assumptions, and asking the questions others aren't asking yet. Slauson Studies is how we make that thinking public. In our first edition, four members of our investment team share the areas capturing their attention: 🔋 Nuclear energy's long-awaited comeback 🏪 Spatial AI turning physical spaces into smart platforms ✈️ Why human judgment is hospitality's most durable advantage 🧬 The fertility access gap innovation hasn't solved yet We’re interested in connecting with the founders, operators, and thinkers building in these spaces. Read the full piece on our Substack, and if any of these topics resonate, hit us up through the link in the article: open.substack.com/pub/slausonand…

INTRODUCING LOAMY The $1 trillion food waste crisis happens long before food reaches the shelf. Legacy systems in the supply chain are too rigid to capture how work actually happens; paper, spreadsheets, and text messages that can't keep pace with how fast food actually moves. This is exactly what Loamy is solving for. Loamy is building AI-powered infrastructure that gives food manufacturers, growers, and distributors real-time visibility across the supply chain, with features like satellite imagery and automated compliance tools to ensure the right food gets to the right place at the right time. Led by co-founders Charles Julius and Jason Pesek, their lived experience of pioneering digital infrastructure uniquely positions them to solve this problem. By unifying data and workflows across the food supply chain, they're not just helping companies reduce waste and increase revenue, but making it easier for companies to meet regulations that ultimately protect consumer health and safety. We're excited to back them as they build the future of food supply chain intelligence. 🎬 Check out our Slauson Snapshot below, or read more here: open.substack.com/pub/slausonand… Follow their journey at getloamy.com.

INTRODUCING OUR FRIENDS & FAMILY 2026 COHORT. After reviewing over 700 applications, we're excited to share the founders we’re partnering with for Friends & Family 2026. These teams think from first principles, design with intention, and are committed to scale so better systems reach millions. And they're already proving the world wants what they're building. Read the full announcement: open.substack.com/pub/slausonand…

you pity the moth confusing a lamp for the moon, yet here you are confusing a screen for the world

“Not him, he said please and thank you in his prompts”

Out today! Looking forward to diving in here.

We're in a once-in-a-generation technological moment. The future of everyday life is being built right now. Friends & Family 2026 will be our first cohort focused entirely on Consumer companies. We're looking for architects of the human experience. Founders who refuse to accept the world as it is. Who think from first principles. Who see cultural shifts before they happen. Florence Knoll. Virgil Abloh. Grace Hopper. Steve Jobs. Ray and Charles Eames. These visionaries shaped how we live today with the tools of their time. Imagine what they would have built with the technological innovations we have at our fingertips today? We're investing $300K in a handful of founders with exceptional taste who design intentionally with humanity in mind. Thoughtful designers who understand craft matters at scale. Cultural seers already proving the world wants what they're building. Friends & Family is where the next generation of iconic consumer companies begins. If you're a startup that fits what we're looking for, we encourage you to reach out. Applications open through November 2nd → ff.slauson.co. Read more here: slausonandco.substack.com

APPLICATIONS FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY 2026 ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN. We’re investing $300k into ambitious consumer founders who are designing culture, systems, and experiences that shape how we live, work, and connect. Hear more details about our upcoming Friends & Family accelerator from our Head of Programs, Miki Reynolds (@mikster). Applications are officially open from now through November 2nd. Review full program details and sign up for an upcoming virtual info session at ff.slauson.co.♻️

Last month, we turned Slauson HQ into a startup classroom. Thirty early-stage founders came together for Slauson Summer School—a full day of tactical lessons from seasoned operators, entrepreneurs, and investors on what it takes to build exceptional companies. 🧠 @keneanoliefo broke down how to truly understand your customer. 🤖 Irina Kukuyeva showed how to build with AI. 🎯 Mandy Howard shared the gritty process of finding product–market fit. 👥 Jordan Diggs & Shannon Flynn Bevers pulled back the curtain on hiring and building strong teams. 🚀 @tjtaylr mapped the GTM path from idea to launch. 📊 Cody Peterson & @GarrisonGowens covered cap tables and legal topics. 💰 Sophie Nazerian unpacked startup financing. 🔥 @JoeFernandez & @saralouhicks brought hard-won lessons from their respective founder journeys. It was a mini version of how @SlausonAndCo supports founders every day—with the knowledge, networks, and resources to build category-defining companies. The day wrapped with Summer Recess, where the founders and speakers were joined by our friends from the local LA startup ecosystem to connect and converse. Huge thanks to @Orrick, @CakeEquity, and @jpmorgan for partnering with us to bring our first Slauson Summer School to life, and to every operator who shared their time and expertise. ♻️ 👉 Follow us to hear about future events, and hit us up if you’re building something cool.

@bria_sullivan @hankgreen Huge congrats! And thanks for giving me a focused 10 mins this morning on something I needed to get done. ✅

My dream came true today. My app hit #1 on the App Store while working with my hero @hankgreen and taking care of my newborn baby

@msuster @joshk This is depressing. We certainly won’t get anywhere when people carry this kind of hate.

I encourage you to watch this short video. Depressing, sure. But it speaks to an important educational challenge we have in America with our youth.

INTRODUCING @slateauto — reshaping affordable mobility in America. In a market where the average car payment has soared past $700/month, Slate is reimagining personal transportation by making electric vehicles radically simple, fully customizable, and under $20,000. By focusing on what matters most — affordability, reliability, and flexibility — Slate is building a platform for economic mobility that meets people where they are, and grows with them as their lives and finances evolve. From first-time drivers to small business owners, this is transportation designed for real life — not just for the luxury market. Led by 20-year auto industry veteran Chris Barman, whose lived experience uniquely positions her to lead this shift, Slate is tackling one of the biggest overlooked challenges in the EV space and unlocking access for millions of everyday Americans. With EV adoption accelerating and affordability more urgent than ever, Slate is right on time. We’re excited to back them as they build the future of electric mobility. 🎬 Check out our Slauson Snapshot below, and reserve your Slate at slate.auto.

We’re officially halfway through our Friends & Family Accelerator, and these are the founders changing the game. From AI to Fintech, Health & Wellness to Consumer Tech, the 2025 cohort is building the future, while supporting each other every step of the way. Get to know the companies we’re betting on. Follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn, or read our cohort announcement post on Medium to learn more: medium.com/slausonandco/a… ♻️ 👀 Interested in joining the next F&F cohort? Head to ff.slauson.co to stay in the loop.

Back in March, we kicked off our 2025 Friends & Family Accelerator, bringing this year’s cohort together in LA at Slauson HQ for 3 days to set the tone for the program. Founders met their dedicated F&F coaches and got to spend time with the Slauson team before diving headfirst into building alongside each other as they work toward building a venture scalable company. From understanding the fundamentals of fundraising to diving deep into each other’s companies to give honest, founder-to-founder feedback, this group showed up ready to build. They also got to hear from our friends Wemimo Abbey (co-founder & CEO of Esusu) on how he built his company from scratch and raised a $130M Series B in just 4 years, as well as Slauson Day 1 Ron Conway (co-founder of SV Angel) who’s backed companies like Google, Meta, PayPal, Pinterest, Airbnb, and more. We wrapped it all with Night on Slauson, where founders connected with our broader LA tech ecosystem, investors, founders, and operators alike, immediately following our AGM. We can’t wait to see what this group will create. 👀 Thinking about joining our next Friends & Family cohort? Keep an eye on ff.slauson.co to stay updated.

Join us on July 15th in LA for Slauson Summer School ♻️ ​A one-day event for early-stage founders and operators who are exploring or actively building a startup. ​You’ll get practical guidance on customer discovery, fundraising, team-building, and product strategy — all from people who’ve built and backed early-stage companies. Leave with actionable tools, sharper strategy, and connections to help you move forward. Apply by Friday, May 30 at 11:59 PM PT: lu.ma/msqhk1pe

INTRODUCING NEARSHORE, reshaping manufacturing across the Americas. In a $5.4T industry still relying on trade shows and middlemen, Nearshore is reshaping manufacturing across the Americas by bringing sourcing into the 21st century. Through its AI-powered marketplace, the platform streamlines the process for brands to connect and collaborate with the best factories across North and Latin America. Led by 3x founder Tanya Menendez, whose lived experience in the manufacturing world uniquely positions her to lead this shift, Nearshore is solving a massive, overlooked problem for both factories and brands and unlocking economic opportunity along the way. With global trade patterns shifting, Nearshore is right on time. We’re excited to back them as they build the future of supply chains, while bringing them closer to home. 🎬 Check out our Slauson Snapshot below, and follow their journey at nearshored.ai

I am totally geeking out over this truck. We’re back to 1980s-sized pickups. Slate feels like a revolutionary, common sense product. This must have been what it felt like when the Volkswagen Beetle first came out. It makes too much sense to be real.

I’ll take one☝️