On December 14, 10 Connecticut-based women entrepreneurs pitched their innovative product and service ideas at the semiannual Women Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition, hosted by the Women’s Business Center at the University of Hartford’s Entrepreneurial Center (EC-WBC).
“Entrepreneurs continue to face challenges related to pandemic survival and recovery,” emphasized EC-WBC Program Manager Milena Erwin, who was moderator of the competition. “At the WBC, we’re excited to provide this opportunity to reward and spotlight innovative ideas from women entrepreneurs in Connecticut.”
The EC-WBC received more than 40 high-quality submissions. Everyone competing brought creativity and business acumen along with strong business concepts. Pitches were judged on business viability, impact, and originality, and prizes were provided by NBT Bank.
Winners
- 1st Place: RFarm, Linda Graham
- 2nd Place: Calyx LLC + Toesty Sheets, Michele Wytas
- 3rd Place: Black Girls Achieve, Taniqua K. Huguley
Finalists
- AcceleratED Learning LLC, Angela Egan
- Crystalneuro, Ludmila Kvochina
- The Key Bookstore, Khamani Harrison
- LalianCosmetics, Alondra Anderson
- Nutmeg + Honey, Jordan Abbott
- onewith, Hayley Segar
- STEAM KIDS LLC, Dr. Diana K. Lockwood
The EC-WBC thanks the judges, featured speaker, and NBT Bank for providing the prizes:
- Moraima Gutierrez, Connecticut Small Business Administration
- Andreas Kapetanopoulos, NBT Bank – Sponsor
- Prati Kaufman, Prati Kaufman Coaching LLC
- Meredith Messenger, InsureGood
- Annisa Teich, The Small Business Collective – Speaker
The EC-WBC will host the next Women Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition in June 2022.