{
  "id": 561680,
  "title": "A pain point in my Wall Street schedule inspired me to leave Citadel to found a laundry startup",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/a-pain-point-in-my-wall-street-schedule-inspired-me-to-leave-citadel",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-11T11:53:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/citadel-jpmorgan-founder-wall-street-startup-washwise-maria-menezes-2026-8"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Maria Cabral Menezes developed a laundry startup called WashWise after experiencing frustration with smelly gym bags and re-worn clothes at Wall Street conferences. The entrepreneur, who previously held positions at JPMorgan and Citadel, noticed a lack of innovation in the detergent industry and aimed to create a laundry service tailored to modern lifestyles, such as daily workouts and frequent travel. Her finance background helped her secure $1.2 million in pre-seed funding and attract investors, including those from the laundry industry and executives from JPMorgan and SoulCycle.",
  "summary": "Maria Cabral Menezes, 27, would work out before her job at Citadel every day. Her smelly gym bag gave her an idea for the company she's now building.",
  "key_points": [
    "Former JPMorgan and Citadel executive identified lack of innovation in detergent industry.",
    "Secured $1.2 million in pre-seed funding from investors in laundry industry and finance."
  ],
  "editors_take": "A finance professional's personal frustration with inconvenient laundry routines has led to a new startup that seeks to modernize the detergent industry with services tailored to active lifestyles.",
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/561680.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Qatar Tribune Business",
        "title": "Wall Street hovers near records as oil swings",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/wall-street-hovers-near-records-as-oil-swings",
        "published": "2026-08-11T21:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}