The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce awards eight local companies-- who could be the next “groundbreaking innovation”-- with memberships through this year's StartUp Worcester program.

WPI Class of 2020 grad Justin Amevor's company Doughboyz Food Services is among the winners.

Amevor started selling these fluffy Japanese-style pancakes made from scratch when he was a college freshman.

He says StartUp Worcester will give him the office space, mentorship and networking experience he needs to grow his business right in the city. 

Amevor plans to deliver breakfast food to customers and people facing food insecurity. Right now, he is raising donations to purchase a delivery truck.

"We're really focused on sustainability and social justice. Once we get our food truck and everything, it's going to be completely sustainable, run battery-powered without any electricity. We're focused on keeping our carbon footprint down,” Amevor said.

Amevor says his goal is to also use Doughboyz to promote racial and social equality for under-represented communities by providing services during events and protests.

This year’s StartUp Worcester winners are:

  • Admet – 3D printing nozzles that add metal printing capability to household 3D printers
  • Doughboyz  – Pancake Delivery Service

  • handi co.  – Professional handyman, carpentry, and painting services

  • Integrated Vision – Manufacturer of apparatus to help mobility, vision, and hearing-impaired people connect and live independently

  • Multiscale Systems, Inc.  – Design and manufacture advanced materials that are lighter, stronger, and better than conventional counterparts

  • Pineapple Girl Productions  – A freelance collective talent pool for multimedia marketing

  • TechnoFrame – An open 3D printable metric aluminum extrusion construction system for prototyping machinery, robotics, and static structures.

  • World Youth Opportunity Inc. – Provider of education and training of skills for IT and entrepreneurship to empower youth