Pittsburgh's Startup to Watch · 2026
DashStrom
​ Kids can do hard things.
DashStrom demonstrates with every class how today’s children can develop a growth mindset, their dash.
That’s why we’re on a mission to bring DashStrom to every community, coast to coast.
What we do
DashStrom helps children find their dash.
DashStrom is the only out of school program that combines crazy fun games with a curated curriculum that elicits pride, laughter and skillsets for a lifetime. When kids struggle and succeed, something changes in them. They find they can do more than they thought. That change is what we call their dash. It is the kind of transformational shift that manifests itself in simple but profound ways, including how a child may react to future challenges.
A proprietary, field-tested program that moves children through challenges to earn triumph, not trophies, that manifests as real character development.
The DashStrom Curriculum
We partner with community leaders from schools and local organizations, to scale with all stakeholders who share our mission.
Community-Led
Teachers and parents consistently report that DashStrom students carry confidence from the field to the classroom and into life.
Measurable Impact
Our Journey
Built with hope. Proven with grit.
Every milestone on this timeline is a signal to our stakeholders, from educators to families and investors, that we can all use some dash.
2015
The First
“Class”
Cristina Ramirez launches a small after-school run club at one elementary school in Miami, Florida. Most kids cry at the first race. Every single one sprints to the finish line. She feels the spark.
The Founders
Cristina M. Ramirez
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER
"Ironman training taught me
how to become resilient."
The last thing anyone would have predicted for Cristina was an Ironman finish, much less three. In her 20s, she was a Wall Street success. And then an addict. Today, more than 23 years sober, she has built a life defined by one powerful insight: discomfort is a doorway to more than we ever think we can handle or dream of achieving.
When her sons were born, she stepped into a preschool classroom and never looked back. The desire to be healthy and a role model led her to endurance racing and crossing finish lines she never thought possible. As a bestselling author of Empowered by Discomfort and an award-winning coach, her work has reached children, executives, and everyone in between.
It all began with a spark. Cristina asked a simple question: What if I could get my two sons and their friends running so they can grow up with the resilience I only found as an adult? She did. Twenty kids. One school. One race. That was the beginning.
Read Cristina’s full story here.
Ironman Finisher
Bestselling Author
Wall Street Preschool Teacher
Dr. Ketaki Desai
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
"Resilience is not a theory.
It only develops through practice."
Ketaki grew up in scarcity in India, surrounded by a deeply loving family while navigating more than her share of life's challenges. She lost her only brother at eighteen. Lost her father as a young adult. And after years of building a life in the United States, she was forced to leave during COVID, starting over in Canada before returning to rebuild and ultimately become a U.S. permanent resident.
Through it all, her ambition never wavered. A PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M. A Master's in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon. Hundreds of founders mentored. Ventures evaluated as an institutional investor. She gained a front-row seat to what it really takes to grow something that lasts.
When she encountered DashStrom, she saw the potential to build not just a program, but a system that could scale resilience to thousands of children.
Today, as Co-Founder and CEO, Ketaki is working alongside Cristina to bring that vision to the world.
Read Ketaki’s full story here.
PhD Biomedical Sciences
500+ Startups Mentored
3X founder
Kilimanjaro to Karate Black Belt
Why Now
The need is real. The time is now.
DashStrom enters a national conversation about the need for meaningful after school programming, from a position of strength: a proven curriculum, validated outcomes, and a founding team that has lived the mission.
VentureRadar
“Top Emotional Resilience Company”
2024
Technical.ly
Product of the Year, Pittsburgh
2025
BNY Uprize Social Innovation Challenge, 2nd Place
2025
Pittsburgh Business Times Startups
to Watch
2026
Technical.ly RealList Honoree
2026
Join us.
Whether you're a school, a parent, a community leader, or an investor, DashStrom welcomes your outreach. Let's talk about what's possible.
info@dashstrom.com ·· DashStrom · Pittsburgh, PA ©2026
We’re on a mission to create opportunities for children everywhere to find their dash, their inner grit and resilience. Because kids grow through challenge, not ease.