Six women founders will soon be competing for cash and connections during the Women’s Fast Pitch finals. There, they will pitch the innovative products they have created, ranging from a “boob inclusive” bra to therapeutic cushions designed to reduce the risk of pressure injuries.
The competition will take place on Day 2 of the Women’s Venture Summit, a conference held Sept. 16-17, 2022. Women’s Venture Summit goal’s is to help female founders gain access to capital. The two-day event is happening at the Town and Country Resort located at 500 Hotel Circle North in San Diego. Tickets are available.
The competition has focused on overlooked regions
The competition made its way across five U.S. regions this summer. After concluding in San Diego, one founder will win:
- $10,000 in seed money.
- Approximately $30,000 worth of in-kind business services.
- Exposure to a new investor network.
“We purposefully selected the Women’s Fast Pitch regions to address overlooked markets like the Midwest. These regions received the lowest amount of VC funding in 2020,” said Raven O’Neal. O’Neal is the CEO of Stella, the event organizer, and a San Diego-based nonprofit organization.
Stella has helped more than 500 women launch and scale their businesses. It offers courses, advisement, and access-to-capital events. “Our mission is to help women get more access to funding opportunities. The Women’s Fast Pitch competition and Women’s Venture Summit are our biggest efforts to do so. To date, they have helped us connect women with more than $70 million in funding.”
The 2022 Women’s Fast Pitch finalists
- Northeast: Dana Donofree of AnaOno, Philadelphia, PA. Created by cancer survivor Dana Donofree, AnaOna is a collection of “boob inclusive” lingerie and intimates for all different breast sizes and surgery outcomes.
- Southeast: Aurelia Edwards of Nailstry, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Nailstry is an app that provides users with a virtual measurement tool for sizing nails. The app showcases nail designers from across the globe, providing users with many non-toxic and reusable press-on nail options.
- Midwest: Jessica Bussert of Wave Therapeutics, Nashville, IN. Wave Therapeutics is a health-tech startup that creates products to help prevent pressure injuries. Its initial products include an active therapeutic wheelchair cushion.
- Northwest: Vlasta Schutzenhofer of Roura, Seattle, WA. Roura is a femtech startup that makes the Relief Brief, underwear with patent-pending heat and massage technology designed to soothe and comfort people’s cramps.
- Southwest: Mia Umanos of Clickvoyant San Diego, CA. Clickvoyant is an AI-powered analytics software that automates presentations from raw marketing data.
- Wildcard: Vicky Pasche of Dapper Boi, San Diego, CA. Dapper Boi is a gender-neutral clothing line that offers a unique fit and a wide range of sizes to make people feel comfortable in their skin.
Stella is bringing together women founders and investors
The entrepreneurs are gaining access to pitch competitions, inspiring workshops, and powerful panelists. By doing this, the company moves further toward its goal of wealth creation and equal opportunity for women. This year’s Women’s Venture Summit talks will focus on how to keep the momentum going. Keynote speakers who will provide insight are:
- Nelli Garton, CEO, and co-founder of Tablecloth.io.
- Jasmine LeFlore, co-founder of Greater Than Tech.
- Lolita Taub, GP of Ganas Ventures.
Sponsors of the Women’s Venture Summit include:
- UBS Paradigm Group San Diego
- Cooley
- The Impact Seat Foundation
- DLA Piper
- Ad Astra Ventures
- Tagit
- Knobbe Martens
- The UC San Diego Rady School of Management
To view the full speaker lineup for the two-day event, please visit https://www.womensventuresummit.org/. Now available, general admission tickets start at $599.00 and VIP tickets start at $999.00. Follow the conference at @wearewvs on social media.
About Stella:
Founded in 2012, Stella is a nonprofit organization that has helped more than 500 women launch and scale businesses through courses, advisory services, and access-to-capital events. For more information, please visit stella.co.
Thinking about pitching yourself? You may want to check out Five Tips For Pitching And Taking It To The Next Level.
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