Savannah SCORE Awards $30k in Cash and Prizes to Three Startups at BizPitch Competition
BizPitch contestant LV Short presents her startup Borderless Homeschooling Community of Georgia.
Savannah SCORE held its annual BizPitch competition on Friday, November 5th. BizPitch is a startup pitch competition that allows area companies to share their endeavors in four minutes before a live audience and a panel of local business experts and leaders. Eight finalists pitched and shared their company slide decks on Friday (finalist information as provided by SCORE):
Kathryn Rodgers-Hubbard / Lite Foot Company
Lite Foot Company exists to help consumers reduce their carbon footprint and do their part in the fight against climate change by offering them a way to get their everyday essentials, e.g., shampoo, lotions, beauty supplies, etc., without plastic.
Lesli Ott and Vanessa Villaverde / Menther
Menther is a digital platform that helps to empower and advance women globally through mentorship matching and support. A recognized Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) platform, Menther is poised to leverage technology to rebuild the workforce more equitably in a post-COVID world.
Madeline Ott and Colin Breland / Late Air
Late Air will be a wine bar, centered around community, offering customers looking for an intimate neighborhood wine shop, a focused yet eclectic bar, small plates, and a space that feels inviting and creative.
LV Short / Borderless Homeschooling Community of Georgia
Borderless Homeschooling Community of Georgia will offer high-quality homeschooling resources, lesson plans, activities, materials, and consulting services to families with special circumstances, e.g., transient families, RV Traveling families, families with home-bound special needs children, etc.
Joshua Stebbins / AIRSTIK® Brand by Kapotas Designs
AIRSTIK® products are based on a patented, revolutionary material that uses micro-suction cups and atmospheric pressure to adhere to glass and glass-like surfaces. The material can be removed and reapplied an infinite number of times without leaving a sticky residue.
Mary Whalen / Canine Behavior Rehabilitation of Savannah
Canine Behavior Rehabilitation of Savannah will offer behavior modification training for shelter and rescue dogs. Taught by a professionally certified dog trainer, the training will help avoid euthanasia and increase the chance for these animals to be adopted.
GeorgAnna Wiley / Rebirth Holistic Women’s Health
Rebirth Holistic Women’s Health blends mainstream medicine and evidence-based, alternative healthcare into holistic gynecology. The goal is to offer comprehensive holistic care to un/underinsured, marginalized women, and those dissatisfied with mainstream medicine.
Michelle Williams and Stephanie Aiesi / Kidney Innovations, Healthcare Education Reimagined
Kidney Innovations, Healthcare Education Reimagined offers pre-dialysis education based on its signature Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) education program, “Kidney Greenways.” The program uses the latest technology, apps, and interactive platforms to offer personalized education to promote patient engagement and understanding leading to improved health.
After each pitch, five judges had three minutes total to ask questions before individually scoring each of the pitches. Judges included Rachel White, VP, Business Banking Relationship Manager, SunTrust now Truist; Jackie Schott, Executive Director, Savannah Downtown Business Association and First Vice Chair, Ronald MacDonald House; Mary Githens, Owner, Latin Chicks & Mint To Be Mojito; Moncello Stewart, President, Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce and Community Activist; and Scott Pierce, Co-Owner/COO, Coastal Care Now; 2020 BizPitch Savannah Winner.
At the close of all pitches, judges used their scorecards to collectively rank and select three companies as the winners. The three winners were:
GeorgAnna Wiley / Rebirth Holistic Women’s Health
Michelle Williams and Stephanie Aiesi / Kidney Innovations, Healthcare Education Reimagined
Lesli Ott and Vanessa Villaverde / Menther
BizPitch Winners L to R: Vanessa Villaverde (Menther), Michelle Williams and Stephanie Aiesi (Kindey Innovations), GeorgAnna Wiley (Rebirth Holistic Women’s Health)
These startups were each awarded $4,000 in cash as well as $6,000 in gift cards and prizes from companies that donated business services and assistance.
Savannah SCORE’s current Chapter Chair Michael Siegel closed out the competition by announcing the organization’s plan to host BizPitch again in 2022.
To learn more about SCORE and BizPitch visit https://savannah.score.org.
More About SCORE:
With 240 chapters and over 10,000 expert volunteer business mentors across the country, SCORE, a resource partner of the US Small Business Administration (SBA), is the nation’s largest provider of free business mentoring services and educational programs for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Savannah SCORE was named “2019 Mid-Market Chapter of the Year” and is a Diamond Level Chapter, an honor achieved by fewer than 10% of SCORE’s chapters. In 2020, Savannah SCORE mentors worked with 832 clients, presented 63 live online workshops attended by over 1,500 people, and helped establish 273 new local businesses. All of SCORE’s business mentoring services are provided at no cost. To schedule a free session with a Savannah SCORE Mentor, please visit https://savannah.score.org/content/find-mentor-305.
