WEDNESDAY APRIL 17th
The CODE Building | 7PM
ANNOUNCING THE CROWDFUNDED PITCH NIGHT FINALISTS!
Eleven local entrepreneurs were selected to compete for start-up funding and a max of $5,000 grand prize.
The Tom Tom Festival and the Community Investment Collaborative (CIC) are hosting the 11th Annual Crowdfunded Pitch Night on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 7:00pm, at The CODE Building. In honor and recognition of the eleventh year of the competition, this year’s event will spotlight eleven local entrepreneurs and grant them a chance to pitch to a live audience filled with community members and supporters who will donate funds to their favorite business idea(s).
The hopeful entrepreneurs will only have three (3) minutes to present their concepts or businesses. Following the pattern set during last year’s competition, all funds raised by a startup will go directly to the startup, regardless of the crowd favorite. A grand prize winner will be selected by a panel of judges and awarded a max of $5,000, sponsored by CIC, at the end of the competition.
MEET THE 2024 FINALISTS:
Ahan Dalal (BrokerBotics): a simple automation platform to generate income from stock options
Bennett Slosman (Angel Detection Solutions): a developer of a disposable cup capable of detecting the addition of date rape drugs to an individual’s drink
Beza Bisrat (Ethiopian Delights): a consumer goods company that produces ready-to-eat Ethiopian food
Chris Tobey (Live Now): a mobile multi-camera video live-streaming service
Curie Chang (Petrichor): a circular apparel certification and recycling company
Feather Chen (Upon a Tea): a sanctuary for tea enthusiasts coupled with a cultural hub for exploration and educational platform for Chinese tea traditions
Jeanette “Jetty” Prophyl (The BOBO Collective): a brokerage that exclusively sources for, produces and sells black-owned consumer packaged goods
Jen Fleisher (Coffeen Co): affordable, well-designed, biodegradable vessels for green burial made primarily of coffee ground waste
Martisha Catoe (Fiori Glo Skincare): a line of natural products to enhance skin, health and beauty
Nicole Hawker (Heart & Soul Fitness): a holistic wellness initiative offering expert-led fitness classes, nutrition guidance, and mindfulness practices
Sara Zia (Virginia Prison Birth Project): a program that offers emotional, physical and informational support to pregnant and postpartum incarcerated parents and their babies
Janasha Bradford, Owner, Mahogany and Friends, was the grand prize winner of the 2023 Crowdfunded Pitch Night. “If you are a small business owner, you need to be in this room - it’s all about community, networking, and having the opportunity to share your why. Throughout the process of preparing for my pitch, arriving, and walking around the room, I felt supported," she says.
Crowdfunded Pitch Nights continue to contribute to the success of local entrepreneurs in tangible and intangible ways. Beyond the cash prizes, many have garnered unyielding support, partnerships, promotion, community engagement, brand enhancement, and business development opportunities that extend far beyond the competition itself.
For more information on the Crowdfunded Pitch Night event hosts please visit: https://cicville.org and www.tomtomfoundation.org/