Mother/daughter startup Mixtroz wins $100,000 at Rise of the Rest competition
Ashlee Ammons calls the entrepreneurial experience “almost spiritual.”
“It’s not a costume you wear,” she said. “It’s a part of you; you’re thinking about it all time.”
That faith and commitment paid off for Ammons and her mother, Kerry Schrader, co-owners of Mixtroz, when they won the Rise of the Rest startup competition in Birmingham April 9. Their startup, an app that helps people connect and engage at networking events, was awarded $100,000 in entrepreneurial seed money.
Eight Birmingham startups competed in the fourth Rise of the Rest competition, a nationwide effort to promote tech startups in select cities. Along with Birmingham, this year’s Rise of the Rest bus tour made stops in Dallas, Memphis, Chattanooga and Louisville. The Washington D.C.-based Revolution fund, led by America Online co-founder Steve Case, has traveled more than 8,000 miles to 33 cities to invest in local startups.
“Ashlee, Kerry and Mixtroz are a shining example of Birmingham’s entrepreneurial spirit,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “Birmingham is very proud of their hard-earned win at the Rise of the Rest competition, and we’re also proud of the hard work and desire shown by the other nominees as well. These startups are the lifeblood of our business community and your city stands behind you.”
Watch the team from Mixtroz join the other Rise of the Rest nominees discuss the importance of Birmingham startups below.
