Pitch Night Showcases New Haven Entrepreneurs
Competition hosted by The Community Foundation Mission Investments Company awards prizes to bakery, hair stylist and fashion designer.
The Community Foundation Mission Investments Company (TCFMIC) hosted Pitch Night for Elm City entrepreneurs on August 28.
The Southern Connecticut State University School of Business was buzzing with energy as over 75 attendees gathered to celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and community.
"Main Street should not be forgotten," TCFMIC Managing Director Joseph W. Williams, Jr. said in an interview with the Yale Daily News. "I don’t care if you’re a bodega, food truck, barbershop — you should have opportunity just like everyone else to scale up."
From over 30 nominations, five standout entrepreneurs pitched their ventures in front of a packed room and a panel of expert judges: City of New Haven Deputy Director of Economic Development Manny Riviera, Dr. Venugopal Prabhakar Gantasala, associate dean of Southern Connecticut State University's School of Business, and Danica Tarin, CEO of NeoLumin.
Read about the pitch night for entrepreneurs at ClimateHaven, which focused on tech innovation.
Malby Artisan Bread and Pastries won first prize of $7,500, with plans to use the winnings to purchase a new oven that will help the new business scale.
Second place went to Kween Konnie Loving Her Crown, a natural hair care and styling business, with a prize of $4,500; and third-place and $3,000 went to Creature Feature, a slow fashion apparel brand.
The prizes were sponsored by the City of New Haven.
View the full photo album from Pitch Night: Elm City Entrepreneurs.
Let’s keep building an innovative and inclusive New Haven.
