A yoga studio, an olive oil distributor, a female health care provider, a sustainable mushroom farmer, and an AI-powered physical therapy service were announced as the winners of the 2024 Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge on Wednesday, May 8.
Each entity will receive $20,000 for business-related expenses.
Offered via a partnership between Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.’s Office and the Queens Economic Development Corporation, QTIC is a five-month instruction-and-funding competition for entrepreneurs in search of funds to launch or grow their startups. Contestants participated in one-on-one consultations and networking events while also taking workshops on such topics as operations, marketing, and financial statements. (There were 132 applications.) Then, they submitted business plans to judges who selected one winner each in five categories: Consumer Tech; Enterprise Tech; Sustainability; Community; and Food.
Here’s more info on the winners.
Community: I Am Yogi Studios (Felicia Robertson) blends Yoga techniques, education, culture, and empowerment.
Consumer Tech: Neuemoon Health (Michelle Ng) helps women treat endometriosis, fibroids, and other menstruation-related health issues.
Enterprise Tech: TheraMotive (Lola Omishore) designs, builds, and delivers AI-powered physical therapy.
Food & Beverage: Huwa (Bilal Othman) produces and distributes sustainably harvested olive oil from Palestine.
Sustainability: Afterlife Ag Inc. (Winson Wong + Sierra Alea) upcycles food waste to grow fresh and sustainable mushrooms. The company, which strives to reduce landfill waste while also feeding populations, currently works with more than 35 customers in NYC, supplying 15 types of mushrooms.
Now in its second year, QTIC is a continuation of the Queens StartUP! Business Plan Competition, which QEDC administered annually from 2006 to 2023 until the Borough President’s Office joined and enhanced the effort. The sponsors are Resorts World New York City, AT&T, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates, Tech NY, and JetBlue Ventures.
Caption: The winners celebrate at Resorts World New York City on May 8. Michelle Stoddart from Resorts World, Deputy Borough President Ebony Young, QEDC Executive Director Seth Bornstein, and David Tanis from Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates are also in group.