#Newsflash | StartUP! Finalists to Pitch Businesses to an Expert Panel in a Public Forum
BY QEDC It's In Queens
They’re in the money round!
The public is invited to watch as finalists in Queens Economic Development Corporation’s 2021 StartUP! Business Competition go for gold during Final Pitch from Tuesday, April 27, to Thursday, April 29.
After attending at least four workshops on such topics as Branding and Financial Forecasting Marketing, participants in four categories ─ Community, Food, Sustainability, Technology ─ submitted applications to a panel of judges. These judges then selected 12 finalists (three in each category) from a pool of almost 50 teams. These finalists will now pitch to a new panel and compete for four $10,000 grants.
Registration to watch Final Pitch is open, and attendance is free. The schedule follows.
Day 1, April 27, 10 am to 12:30 pm
Sustainability: Terrart NYC, which designs floral arrangements inside terrariums; Kon Incense, which sells organic, plant-based incense in refillable, non-plastic containers; and Weeta’s Cositas, an art and fashion purveyor working with socially conscious brands.
Tech: Kids Break Ground, a platform that helps youngsters explore career options; She Designs Creative Agency, which offers online courses, mentorship, and coaching related to coding to women; and Foodini, an app that empowers people to try new cuisines while giving restaurants an affordable platform to drive traffic.
Day 2, April 28, 10 am to 12:30 pm
Community: House of Playful Soul, a children’s learning center in Forest Hills; the Jackson Heights cooperative bookstore and event space Open Boarders, and Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, an Astoria nonprofit that works for gender equity in the film industry by creating opportunities for women to showcase their talents, leadership qualities, and stories.
Food: Astoria’s Prince Abou’s Butchery, an online retailer that sells locally sourced Halal meat products from small farms; QNSY, a Jackson Heights craft cocktail business that sells beverages in sleek, 12-ounce aluminum cans and “sixtel” (5.16 gallon) kegs; and Globurrito, an Astoria-based fusion food truck specializing in burritos, rice bowls, and fries.
Day 3, April 29, noon to 1 pm
Announcement of the Four Winners and Team Line-Up.
Now in its 15th year, StartUP! is a four-month program for Queens-based entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of developing their businesses. It’s funded via a grant from Resorts World Casino New York City with support from the Srivastava Technology Fund. Since it began in 2006, StartUP! has awarded a total of $450,000 in grants to 71 winners chosen from a combined pool of an estimated 4,300 participants.
Top image: Austin Distel