It felt like more than coincidence when Cargility co-founder Meera Ramaswami was assigned a school project to invent a solution to a real-world problem—around the same time her grandmother was injured while trying to get out of a car. After surgery and a difficult recovery left her grandmother hesitant to use a car again, Meera began researching available options. What she discovered was a major gap in the mobility market—particularly within the AgeTech mobility industry—when it came to solutions that preserve independence, security, and dignity for people recovering from surgery, managing chronic pain or health conditions, aging, or experiencing other common mobility limitations. That realization became the foundation of her class project, and the spark for what would eventually become Cargility.
“What if we started a company?”
Meera’s co-founder, Praveena, brought professional experience in marketing and automotive mobility, another piece of what felt like a perfectly aligned moment. While attending an industry mobility summit, Praveena met Ann Arbor SPARK director of mobility programs Janis Seabolt, and had the opportunity to informally share the mobility innovation concept Meera had been developing—and already winning national patent and funding awards for.
Although Praveena was familiar with SPARK, she initially believed its services were geared toward larger, more established businesses. She was pleasantly surprised—and validated—by SPARK’s interest in Cargility. From the beginning, both co-founders were committed to working only with partners who truly understood and led with Cargility’s mission. A formal meeting with Janis soon followed, marking the transition from idea to company.
Meaningful Work Meets Game-changing Support
The first step in SPARK’s roadmap was participation in a weekly bootcamp, an intensive but impactful experience focused on customer discovery, mentorship, business planning, and startup readiness. Through SPARK, Cargility has received approximately $30,000 in grant funding to date. That funding also came with advisor support to help prioritize and allocate resources toward legal, registration, and administrative needs—tailored specifically to Cargility’s mission.
SPARK also connected the team to a highly competitive internship program, where Cargility was selected as one of fewer than 30 companies, out of more than 700 applicants, to receive two interns to help accelerate growth.
“SPARK just knew what to do,” Meera says, comparing the early days of building Cargility before SPARK’s involvement to climbing an ever-growing mountain.
In less than a year, SPARK provided services that Meera and Praveena would otherwise have spent months researching, applying for, and waiting on—moving them from concept to registered company with a clear, viable business model. SPARK helped define their to-do list and supported them in checking off each step along the way.
Stepping into Stability
While Cargility wasn’t born from an initial intention to start a business, within 365 days Meera and Praveena found themselves in a completely different place: more prepared, more established, and deeply energized about bringing a life-changing mobility engineering solution to market.
Even with the impressive momentum of Cargility’s first year, SPARK’s support continues. Regular check-ins provide reassurance, new grant opportunities, and connections to additional programs that Meera and Praveena may not have otherwise known about or accessed. SPARK also offers a trusted space for honesty, helping the founders evaluate next steps, avoid missteps, and protect themselves from being taken advantage of by outside parties. Being valued and respected as women founders in a competitive, male-dominated industry is another defining element of SPARK’s full-service support.
“It has not been lonely because Ann Arbor SPARK has been our partner throughout. They are literally our champion,” says Praveena.
About Small Business Support
Small Business Support from Ann Arbor SPARK provides no-cost coaching, mentorship, workshops, and resources to help entrepreneurs in Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw Counties start and grow their businesses. Through a collaborative network of Business Support Partners, we offer expert guidance, technical assistance, and tools designed to strengthen local entrepreneurship, fuel innovation, and build long-term business success.
