West Tenth
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
Some sections are still being researched2 / 4
Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
West Tenth is a digital marketplace for women-owned, home-based businesses, founded in 2019 by Lyn Johnson and Sara Sparhawk (a Kansas City TechStars graduate). Positioned as a positive alternative to predatory multi-level marketing companies, the app lets women monetize household talents - home bakers, jewelry designers, baby sleep consultants, personal assistants - with no upfront capital or listing fees; the company takes a 9.5% cut only when a sale is guaranteed. By 2021 it had over 600 businesses (nearly 1,000 by late 2021), concentrated in suburban LA and Salt Lake City, after raising a $1.5 million seed round led by Better Ventures.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Launched
Lyn Johnson and Sara Sparhawk launch West Tenth, a marketplace app for women-owned home-based businesses, after graduating from Kansas City TechStars.
- Seed funding and growth
West Tenth raises $1.5 million in seed funding led by Better Ventures; the app grows to over 600 businesses (nearly 1,000 by year end) in LA and Salt Lake City, riding the COVID-era 'shecession' wave of women leaving the workforce.
- Still operating
Founder Lyn Johnson is still listed as CEO of West Tenth as of May 2024; no failure or shutdown record was found.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.