citizenM Announces Winners of Inaugural Founders First Program
The initiative celebrates and empowers underrepresented small business owners in London and New York through a shared vision of community, connection, and inclusivity.
New York, NY – Affordable luxury hotel brand citizenM announced the winners of its inaugural Founders First program today. The global hotel group launched the Founders First program earlier this summer via an open social call, drawing in hundreds of applications. The program was designed for founders or entrepreneurs from underrepresented companies based in London and New York looking to grow and scale their businesses. Given citizenM’s commitment to working with rising artists and small businesses it only made sense to launch Founders First this year as a tool to provide further support for these communities.
In the US, LGBTIQA+ founders receive 16% less funding compared to the average founder, despite being responsible for the creation of 36% more jobs, 114% more patents and 44% more exits1. Founders First at citizenM celebrates individuality and creativity, providing LGBTIQA+ founders. with tools to continue their growth, connect, and thrive in a global business landscape.
As the result of a social-based open call held over the summer, the citizenM team narrowed down the hundreds of applications to two winners – with one in the US and one in the UK.
Meet the winners
In the US, citizenM selected Javier Quinonez and Peter Levin. The New York-City-based founders created Hunch Studios – a studio creating innovative card games. As long-time friends and founders of Hunch Studios, Javier and Peter have forged their company with one mission in mind: fun is the best way to help people be present. With millions of copies sold worldwide, their card games are available in over 5,000 stores worldwide with games including, Incohearent, Tell Me Without Telling Me, Put A Finger Down, and more.
The UK winners of the Founders First program, selected from the open call, are Kim Callender and Arabella Bowen, the co-founders of SoloTrvlr, a platform designed to empower independent female-identifying travelers to discover the world on their own terms. Their innovative business provides personalized trip-planning support from a global network of women advisors, freeing up travelers to focus on what matters: more enriching travel experiences and deeper local connections.
As part of the Founders First program support, the US and UK winners have received a two-year mycitizenM+ membership for themselves and their teams, which offers access to citizenM's global network of 36 (and growing) hotels and coworking spaces. The coworking benefits – which were rolled out earlier this year – provide access to inspiring spaces, premium amenities (discounts on food & beverage, societyM meeting rooms, and superfast free Wi-Fi), and more.
The winners will have the opportunity to showcase their service at citizenM locations, gaining exposure to a global audience through campaign content and digital platforms. In addition to the coworking benefits, the winners will also receive a monetary investment to help propel their brand vision forward, alongside consultations with citizenM's expert procurement team. This package is designed to give SoloTrvlr and Hunch Studios the tools and visibility to further scale their impact.
We created the Founders First program to help support small businesses and we are excited for our selected founders to propel their brands forward via our network of like-minded partners, suppliers, and collaborators worldwide,
says Robin Chadha, Chief Brand Officer at citizenM. These founders are the perfect partners for citizenM, given their missions to bring people together, whether it be through nostalgic fun via innovative card games or empowering travel experiences for solo female-identifying adventurers.
Activations are planned for 2025 across select New York and London properties, providing both companies with a platform to connect with citizenM guests and local communities. In New York, Hunch Studios will be teaming up with citizenM to host an event in February - just in time for Valentine’s Day. In the UK, female identifying travelers will have the chance to win a getaway for two at any citizenM destination across the globe - including a 1:1 consultation with one of SoloTrvlr’s verified local advisors and a personalized guide filled with tips and recommendations, giving them the tools to truly make the most of their trip. Additional details to be announced soon.
With the success of its inaugural Founders First program, citizenM is excited to continue championing emerging businesses and offering a platform for innovation. As the program evolves, citizenM remains committed to creating meaningful opportunities for founders to grow, collaborate, and make an impact across the globe.
For more information about Founders First, click here.
About citizenM
citizenM was launched in 2008 with a purpose – to disrupt the traditional, stale hotel industry. Rattan Chadha – the founder of the global fashion brand Mexx – was inspired by his employees to create a hotel for today’s frequent travellers, giving them everything they need and nothing they don’t. This means central locations in the world’s most exciting cities, but at an affordable price. Not just a place to sleep, but somewhere to work, relax and play – just like home. Somewhere with superfast free Wi-Fi, tech that makes life easy, and world-class art that isn’t ‘hotel art’. A room with an ultra-comfortable XL bed to crash in, and a powerful rain shower to wake-up in. Rattan Chadha called this ‘affordable luxury for the people’.
As of November 2024, citizenM’s portfolio has 36 hotels in 21 exciting cities: London, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Rome, Zurich, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, Menlo Park, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur.
About Hunch Studios
Hunch is a NYC-based studio that invents games and TV shows. Their mission is rooted in a simple belief: that fun is the best way to help people be present. It’s why Hunch Studios’ north star is to create the next great fun factory. The company currently does this through card games, but is planning to expand into digital games, game shows and more.
