First Chair: July 2026
Welcome back to First Chair 🚠: Your monthly rundown on Vermont’s startup scene.
News & Events
Neil Shah / Oru
After selling his company, Neil took a break and found his next startup while sitting by his woodstove. This is Oru.
The Farmer Companies: EY Entrepreneur of the Year
Adam Farmer, Founder and CEO of The Farmer Companies, was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year New England.
Lost Lantern: United States of Bourbon
VCET portfolio company, Last Lantern, just launched United States of Bourbon, a blend of 50 bourbons from each state to celebrate America’s 250th year.
Ex-Tesla President Jon McNeill To Join VCET’s AI After Hours
Jon McNeill, ex-President of Tesla, former COO of Lyft, and CEO and co-founder of DVx Ventures will headline VCET’s next AI After Hours event.
Rooted here. Connected Everywhere.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your Vermont roots is leave them. Not permanently, not apologetically, but intentionally.
RJ Adler / WheelPad
“To be an entrepreneur, you have to be inherently lazy.” RJ Adler joins Start Here to give us the update on WheelPad, a manufacturer of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) based in Wilmington, Vermont.
First Chair: June 2026
Welcome back to First Chair 🚠: Your monthly rundown on Vermont’s startup scene.
Michele Asch / Twincraft Skincare
As Chief People Officer, she’s making Vermont a hub for skincare innovation, manufacturing premium products for over 150 brands across North America.
GiftDrive / Company Spotlight
GiftDrive is a free online platform designed to help nonprofits run donation drives and wishlists for in-kind and physical items. Q/A with CEO Logan Vaughan.
Kevin LeSage / SearchLight
If there’s an entrepreneur to watch right now, it’s Kevin Lesage. He’s the founder of SearchLight, an analytics platform bringing a clear, unbiased view to return on ad spend and showing contractors which leads actually turn into booked jobs.
Jason Levinthal / J Skis
After founding a company, seeing it acquired, and realizing he wasn’t built to sit still, he launched J Skis, a direct-to-skier brand creating hand-crafted, limited-edition skis.