The Startup Teaching Big Tech How to Say Your Name

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🔎 Deal in Focus: NameCoach

Respect at Scale: How a Simple Name Tool Is Quietly Transforming Enterprise Inclusion

🧠 Editor’s Note

This article is for informational purposes only. Invst Guru is not affiliated with NameCoach, Wefunder, or any broker-dealer. This content does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation to invest. For any current fundraising activity, please refer to the company’s official Reg CF offering page or consult a licensed advisor.

In a world where companies spend millions on DEI training, the act of saying someone’s name correctly remains one of the most meaningful and overlooked gestures of inclusion.

That’s the core insight behind NameCoach, a B2B SaaS platform that started as a graduation tool and now powers pronunciation solutions for organizations like Salesforce, NYU, and UCLA. By helping institutions embed audio name pronunciations into digital systems, NameCoach transforms a moment of friction into a sign of respect at scale.

The company is currently conducting a Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) raise on Wefunder, allowing the public to learn more about and support their mission-driven growth.

🎓 The Origin Story: One Name, One Moment

It began with a mispronunciation at a graduation ceremony.
When Praveen Shanbhag heard his sister’s name butchered onstage, it struck a nerve not just personally, but philosophically.

As a Stanford Ph.D. student studying ethics, he saw how that moment symbolized broader exclusion issues. “Names are tied to our identity,” he said. “Getting them wrong says: ‘You don’t matter enough for me to learn.’”

That frustration sparked a solution: a way to make respectful name pronunciation part of institutional workflows from classrooms to boardrooms.

🧩 The Problem They’re Solving: Overlooked Friction, Lost Trust

• 44% of Americans say their name is regularly mispronounced.

• In the workplace, name-based microaggressions are a top DEI complaint.

• 67% of job seekers say personalized communication affects how they perceive company culture.

• Universities cite name pronunciation as a core DEI onboarding priority.

Despite this, pronunciation remains informal and inconsistent in most settings leading to recurring missteps that undermine trust and belonging.

💡 The NameCoach Approach: Respect as a Service (RaaS)

NameCoach provides a customizable platform that integrates with the tech stacks of modern institutions.

Core capabilities include:

• Name Pages – Users record their names with optional context. Embed in email signatures, CRMs, or video call bios.

• Pronunciation Widgets & APIs – Click-to-pronounce buttons for rosters, directories, event programs, and customer portals.

• Enterprise Integrations – Including Salesforce, Canvas LMS, Zoom, Outlook, and (in development) Workday and ServiceNow.

• Admin Dashboards – Enable organizations to manage adoption and monitor usage metrics.

Its “Respect Infrastructure” is licensed through SaaS contracts, enabling teams to operationalize inclusion.

📐 Use Cases Across Industries

NameCoach’s applications go well beyond education:

• Education: Graduation ceremonies, course rosters, alumni outreach

• Enterprise & HR: Employee onboarding, sales calls, DEI training

• Healthcare: Patient interactions and staff coordination

• Customer Support: Call centers and personalized account experiences

Across all these settings, the platform enables one simple yet impactful improvement: saying names right.

🧪 Market Opportunity: From Niche Tool to Platform Play

What started as a feature is becoming an infrastructure layer for inclusion. NameCoach is positioning itself at the intersection of multiple growth markets:

• HR Tech – A $35B+ sector prioritizing inclusion tools for hybrid and remote workforces

• EdTech – On pace to reach $348B by 2030, with strong demand for student-first tooling

• CRM & SaaS – Integrations with Salesforce and others open white-label possibilities

• ESG & DEI Compliance – Companies are under pressure to show progress on human-centered initiatives

🔁 Traction & Ecosystem Partners

Notable Clients & Institutions
Salesforce, NYU, UCLA, University of Chicago, Procore, ServiceNow

Strategic Programs

• Microsoft for Startups

• Salesforce AppExchange Partner

• Stanford StartX Accelerator

Each validation point reflects growing enterprise adoption.

🔧 Technology Architecture

The platform pairs human-centered UX with secure enterprise integration:

• Audio recording/playback tools (desktop & mobile)

• NLP-powered name assistance

• User and admin analytics dashboards

• Privacy safeguards including FERPA and SOC 2 compliance

Product roadmap items (subject to change) include voice synthesis, language detection, and pronunciation coaching modules.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Team

• Praveen Shanbhag, Founder & CEO – Stanford Ph.D. in philosophy; inclusion-focused leader

• Cathy Atwell, CRO – Former sales leader at Hearsay Systems; driving enterprise growth

• Liam Mayclem, Director of Communications – Emmy-winning broadcaster; storytelling and media voice

Together, they blend personal conviction with operational strength.

🌐 Why It Matters

Saying someone’s name right may seem like a small act, but it holds outsized meaning.

In remote-first environments, where human cues are limited and culture is harder to convey, NameCoach offers institutions a toolset for showing that people matter.

Their solution helps teams avoid awkward moments and build trust, connection, and community at scale.

📣 Learn More

NameCoach’s campaign is live on Wefunder. Anyone can explore the platform, review offering materials, and make an investment through the official Reg CF portal.

👉 Visit the official campaign page

💬 Your Turn

Would you invest in a company like NameCoach?
Hit reply and tell us why we might feature your thoughts in next week’s edition.

Or forward this story to someone passionate about tech who respects identity.

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