Top Ten Finalists Breaking New Ground in Cleantech, IoT Smart Home, Enterprise SaaS, Esports, Legal Services, Oil and Gas, Consumer Products and Next Generation Skin Care
LOS ANGELES, July 10, 2019 –
Women Founders Network (“WFN”) today announced the ten finalists who will compete in its Seventh Annual Fast Pitch Competition on October 30, 2019. The competition awards early-stage women-led startups a total of $55,000 cash and more than $150,000 in professional services.
Cash prizes totaling $50,000 will be awarded to the top three finalists selected by WFN judges and an additional $5,000 cash prize will be awarded to the Junior Judges’ favorite Fast Pitch company. This award empowers girls in grades 6-12 to participate in the process and be inspired by women entrepreneurs. All ten finalists will receive professional services totaling over $150,000. The group will also gain visibility and exposure to leading early-stage venture capitalists, angel investors and Los Angeles business executives who are judging the event and attending the pre-pitch Springboard Enterprises Dolphin Tank® with Women Founders Network on July 23rd at Microsoft in Playa Vista, CA, and a private invitation-only event on September 16th at Cross Campus Santa Monica.
“It was challenging to narrow down the field of over 120 high quality applicants to ten finalists, and we’re excited to be working with these amazing women founders to help accelerate their success.” -- Darya Allen-Attar, CEO
The Ten Finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
C-Trax, Kiah Tolliver, Co-founder & CTO, Charlotte, NC – C-Trax offers a suite of SaaS products that support the entire cannabis and industrial hemp supply chain.
Dr. Brite, Paris Sabo, MD, Co-Founder and COO, Fullerton, CA – Dr. Brite naturals is a doctor-founded manufacturer of non-toxic oral care products that are safe for the entire family.
EVENPRIME, Koh Kim, Founder & CEO, Santa Monica, CA – A modern personal care brand developed with the best chemists in Korea to deliver a high-quality line of affordable products for all races and genders.
Hakuna Brands, Hannah Hong, Co-founder, Los Angeles, CA – Makes delicious indulgent frozen treats that truly satisfy with the goodness of 100% plant-based ingredients and no refined sugar.
Hello Divorce, Erin Levine, Founder & CEO, Emeryville, CA – Hello Divorce has created the first DIY divorce app where users can complete their entire divorce online.
Immersive Systems Inc., Sandra Smith, Co-founder & President, Pittsburgh, PA – Immersive Systems is tackling the challenges of fan engagement & fan monetization in competitive esports.
Inirv, Akshita Iyer, Founder & CEO, Durham, NC – Inirv uses plug-and-play smart hardware to bring safety and simplicity to the kitchen.
LEFT, Shayanne Wright, Founder & CEO, Santa Monica, CA – With its all in one software for group travel, LEFT Incorporated provides the first end-to-end platform for an entire organizations' workflow.
ReJoule, Zora Chung, Co-founder & CFO, Garden Grove, CA – ReJoule enables electric vehicle makers to maximize the value of batteries by providing unprecedented insights on battery performance.
SOTAOG, Sarah Tamilarasan, CEO, Houston, TX – SOTAOG is a leading intelligent enterprise software provider, delivering smart technology for the oil and gas industry.
“It was challenging to narrow down the field of over 120 high quality applicants to ten finalists, and we’re excited to be working with these amazing women founders to help accelerate their success,” said Darya Allen-Attar, Founder and CEO of Women Founders Network. “Through the support of our invaluable sponsors, this year we have increased the total cash award by $5,000. Beyond that, we have attracted a powerful slate of Fast Pitch judges, including leading women CEOs from LA-based companies and executives from early-stage venture capital and angel investment firms, increasing visibility for our finalists.”
About the Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition
We support women entrepreneurs building high-growth early-stage businesses. To apply, the company must have a woman co-founder, president or CEO, or be majority-owned by women, among other criteria.
The Fast Pitch Competition will take place on Wednesday, October 30th from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Covel Commons at UCLA, Los Angeles. This event is open to the public and tickets will be available through our website.
Women Founders Network Competition Sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors for their amazing support! The Fast Pitch is presented by Union Bank this year and we appreciate their generous support as our Presenting Sponsor.
We would also like to thank our Corporate Sponsors: UCLA Anderson, USC Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, CBIZ MHM LLC, Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, KPMG, Greenberg Glusker, Pepper Hamilton LLP.
In addition, we'd like to thank those who have committed to supporting the Women Founders Network with in-kind services sponsorships: Evolution, Sandler Training, PJ Tech CPAs, California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI), Pepper Hamilton LLP, Elevate my Brand, DME Law, Supporting Strategies, The Riveter, Countsy, Cooley, CBRE, Nolan Heimann, MBAs on Demand Consulting, PeopleTree, Illuminate, and SBDC California.
We’re also pleased to welcome our Perks Partners: HubSpot, JustWorks, AWS Activate, TriNet, Twilio, The Riveter, RoleBot and Distillery.
If you are interested in joining our roster of sponsors, please contact Kim Christensen, director, Women Founders Network, at kim@womenfoundersnetwork.com.
About Women Founders Network
Women Founders Network (WFN) exists to provide female founders access to mentorship, visibility and capital. Since 2013, WFN has awarded and directly invested $1.3 million in women-founded companies, and WFN Fast Pitch alumni have gone on to raise over $68 million in funding. Visit us at www.womenfoundersnetwork.com.
###
Media Contact:
Kim Christensen
Director, Women Founders Network