Creative Coast Announces 2023 FastPitch Winners
SAVANNAH (May 30, 2023) – The Creative Coast’s FastPitch competition returned in its ninth year at Service Brewing in Savannah for an afternoon of startup pitches, prize money, and networking opportunities. Three out of nine area businesses that participated won cash from a $10K prize pool provided by the Savannah Economic Development Authority.
Sherone Hubbard pitched OSH Consulting, LLC at FastPitch 2023 and won the third place prize.
Each participant was given five minutes to pitch their business to a panel of judges using a slide deck. After all of the pitches were complete, the judges deliberated and voted on the top three pitches based on the viability of the concept, how fundable the idea was, and how well they presented.
The third place $1,500 award went to OSH Consulting, LLC founded by Sherone Hubbard. OSH Consulting, LLC is on a mission to provide responsible drug inventory management and compliance in hospital settings. Hubbard, who is a Doctor of Pharmacy with almost two decades of experience in the industry, explained that 22.4% of medications stolen each year are from healthcare facilities such as hospitals. Furthermore, 10-12% of physicians will develop a substance use disorder during their careers and 10% of healthcare workers are stealing opioids and other controlled substances. Hubbard’s solution is to provide gap assessments and diversion and compounding programs in addition to providing a tool kit and guide for clients through OSH Consulting.
Hubbard shared the value of mentorship when it came to preparing for FastPitch: “I practiced with others and took their feedback seriously and prepared for the questions I might have received and it worked,” said Hubbard.
Micah King presented The Animation TV network at FastPitch 2023 and won second place for the company.
The $2,500 second-place place prize was awarded to The Animation TV Network, the first-ever Black-owned streaming animation network. The Animation TV Network was founded by Jermaine & Whaketa Hargrove and presented by Micah King. Animation TV is the world’s only streaming platform that embraces all aspects of animation culture. With thousands of hours of original content produced, King pitched on the company’s plans to offer a diverse range of animation from digital comics to music videos. Animation TV partners with industry leaders, taps into the Metaverse and NFTs, and is available globally on major platforms with a free, ad-supported model.
King said The Animation TV Networking will continue to build on its platform and is even “looking to make their footprint in Savannah by participating in more events and relocating to the area soon.”
The $5,000 grand prize was awarded to The Arionna Collection, founded by Danietté A Thomas. The Arionna Collection is a high-end fashion brand designed for working women with the goal of making clients feel comfortable, confident and powerful. Thomas, a SCAD Alumna whose work has been featured during two seasons of New York Fashion week and who has showcased her custom designs at the 2020 Oscars, shared that “57% of women feel there are no clothes to fit their body type” and “47% of women struggle with body confidence when shopping for clothes.” Her solution to combat this is to provide cutting edge styles to a wide range of women with a focus on career-wear with stretch and styles that are body-conscious.
Of her experience, Thomas shared, “ The fast prep to alter my slides and ensure my business plan was updated to extract from was precisely what I needed, and as a creative entrepreneur, working with Georgia Southern University, I was grateful to be able to bring three fashion interns working with me for the summer, to this event. This was a great opportunity for th
Danietté A. Thomas (L), who won the FastPitch 2023 grand prize of $5,000, stands next to Jen Bonnett, Executive Director of The Creative Coast.
em.”
She went on to tell us her plans moving forward consist of participating in more pitches competitions as well as forums. “I am looking forward to the growth!” she shared.
The six additional competitors at FastPitch 2023 were:
HUMBLEHQ presented by Brett Baines
Tupelo Labs presented by Skyler Reep
NexAI presented by Lorna Kangethe
BAWDY presented by Tyiana Sansbury
Vistos presented by Zachary Tyler
FanDab presented by Chrissy Earl and Wheeler Flemming
FastPitch 2023 was made possible by generous sponsors, including the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Built on Purpose, the Small Business Assistance Corporation, Plug and Play Tech Center, InventureIT, Blue Edge Business Solutions, Coastal Navigator, and chooseSAV.
