ANNOUNCING THE CROWDFUNDED PITCH NIGHT FINALISTS!
Ten local entrepreneurs were selected to compete for start-up funding and a $5,000 grand prize.
THURSDAY APRIL 20th
The CODE Building | 7PM
The Tom Tom Festival and the Community Investment Collaborative (CIC) are hosting the 10th Annual Crowdfunded Pitch Night on Thursday, April 20, 2023, 7:00pm, at The CODE Building. The competition will feature ten local entrepreneurs pitching to a live audience filled with voters who will pledge funds to their favorite concept(s).
The following visionaries will have only three minutes to share their ideas or business concepts. This year, 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 2023 FINALISTS!
Corey Hoffman (Neon Culture Brewing): a black-owned craft beer brewery hoping to become the first of its kind in the Charlottesville area.
Daniel Ginsberg (Utrain Inc.): an all-in-one basketball training software solution.
Dominique Cocuzza (NuAge): a mobile app designed to help women 35+ age better by supporting them in adopting targeted lifestyle habits that optimize aging.
Eboni Feggans (Allure Anytime Vending): a vending machine that allows users to access timeless beauty products.
Janasha Bradford (Mahogany and Friends): a mission-based brand that bridges the gap in financial literacy and entrepreneurship available to children while empowering and inspiring them to follow their dreams.
Josh Pritchett (Veo Careers): an employment platform that connects formerly incarcerated career seekers and those with criminal records to background-friendly employers across the US.
Merci Best (STEAMKITX): an education company that provides novel, hand-crafted science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and art (STEAM) kits to solve the lack of affordable, research-based, and fun learning tools for kids ages 5 through 12.
Scott Tiernan (POP Plastic): a creative reuse center that refabricates locally-collected, post-consumer plastic into furniture, home goods, and accessories.
Wendy Winkler (The Rusty Iris Art Bus): a school bus transformed into a double-decker, mobile sculpture, art exhibit and venue, built for the purpose of inviting others to create within it.
Yolonda Coles Jones (The RESTORE Project ): a mindfulness-based initiative to empower BIPOC residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle County to bring more calm, rest and quality attention into their everyday lives so that they can last, love well and live wisely.
As a result of her success at the Tom Tom Crowdfunded Pitch Night and her continued hard work, Cynthia expanded her business significantly, to include a new location in Richmond, VA, and the upcoming launch of her products in Wegmans Charlottesville on April 8, 2023. The pivotal role of last year’s competition in her small business ownership and development experience unveils the possibility and inspiration for each of this year’s finalists.
Cash prizes, mentoring, and other tools will be awarded to the most convincing pitches on the night of April 20, 2023.
For more information on the Crowdfunded Pitch Night, the finalists, event hosts, or other events taking place during the Tom Tom Festival, please visit www.tomtomfoundation.org/ or https://cicville.org.
Electronic voting will also be available for those who can’t physically attend at: www.tomtomfoundation.org/crowdfunded-pitch.