WEATHERCHECK

HEADQUARTERS: Louisville, Kentucky FOUNDERS: Demetrius Gray (CEO), Jermaine Watkins EMPLOYEES: 11

Gray, 32, quit his job at a large bank after the 2008 crash to work as a storm contractor in his native Kentucky. He soon realized that inefficiencies in reconstruction and insurance were forcing people with damaged homes to wait months or even years to rebuild. In 2016 he teamed with serial entrepreneur Watkins, 36, to launch WeatherCheck. The $3.5 million (est. 2020 sales) startup collects data from dozens of sources (including FEMA and mapping-software maker Esri) to create a detailed model of weather damage across the U.S. and Canada. That enables it to work with individuals, mortgage lenders, corporations and insurers to identify weather-related damage as soon as it happens and process claims faster. Since the pandemic started, it has also partnered with businesses to monitor storms that affect employees working remotely.