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Kerry Washington is expanding her holy man investiture portfolio , serving as lead investor in the pre - seed cycle of thewedding market place Cheersy .
Cheersy , which was launch in 2024 by Amy Shack Egan , helps couples find day - of - service wedding coordinator and has put forward a total of $ 550,000 from other investor , including Elizabeth Cutler , co - founder of Soul Cycle , and Jennifer Gilbert , founder of Save the Date . Joanna Rosholm , the former press secretary to First Lady Michelle Obama , and Christina Tosi , the founder of Milk Bar , advised the round .
Washington did not like a shot respond to our request for comment .
Shack Egan said she meet Washington through the actor ’s managing director of societal impact . They both attended a dinner company in Los Angeles where Shack Egan struck up a conversation . By the end of the dinner , the managing director of social impact offer an unveiling to Washington as a possible angel investor . Washington has been make water a name for herself as an holy person investoralongside other Hollywood titansedging their way into the cosmos of startup .
She ’s an investor in thesocial website Spill , a Black - owned alternative to X. She ’s also endorse the eating disordertreatment startup Equipand , according to PitchBook , has curve check-out procedure for the charity fundraising platform Omaze and the healthcare society Solv . She was also an investor in The Wing , the women ’s societal club that shut down in 2022 .
“ The dinner party was a few days after I was suppose to fly home , but I knew I needed to be in that way of mightiness players , ” Shack Egan assure TechCrunch . “ I extended my tripper and went to the dinner . ”
From there , Shack Egan dealt with the remainder of the fundraising grocery , an experience she called “ dispute . ” “ I did n’t know what I did n’t know . I say yes to everything . jump on a escape . Got strung along , told no , and put my foot in my oral cavity more time than I can count , ” she said .
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This is Shack Egan ’s second business . She also founded wedding provision business Modern Rebel , launched in 2015 . She set up Cheersy because Modern Rebel was getting so many asking for solar day - of nuptials coordination , meaning having someone make trusted that the wedding is hunt down swimmingly the twenty-four hours it happens .
“ twenty-four hours - of coordination is the most engaged wedding preparation service , and so I responded to requests for this service we did n’t offer with handpicked recommendations , ” she allege , adding that she then realized her offering recommendations could but be built into a market stage business . The event of that was Cheersy , which , she says , has a similar model to Airbnb .
Couples look for vetted matches that meet their budget , vision , and vibration , searching by date , price , and speciality . Then the two party can book a call and , if everything is a fit , the couplet can hold the endowment .
Shack Egan considered her small byplay desktop a military capability but said it was not the “ easy pill to take back ” for investors who were looking for Big Tech company on her résumé .
“ The fundraising journey can be so solitary and a real belt on your mental health , ” she continued .
She joined the Power to Pitch programme , which helped connect her with more people in the startup world . The company will utilize this fresh Washington to heighten the features on the booking political platform and make some hires , such as a user experience decorator . Shack Egan also wants to up the marketing budget a bit and take in a residential district handler as the troupe look for to expand into six new cities in the upcoming months . It ’s currently offer in New York City and Hudson Valley .
“ I started in this industriousness in 2015 as an outcome freelancer , ” Shack Egan said . “ I know the pain sensation point of this job personally . I love the musical theme that we ’re making the experience of being someone that works in the wedding diligence , in such a tough — and often , ungratifying — job more supported and more fun . ”
This piece was updated to excogitate who advised the rhythm .
