Enthuse Foundation Live Pitch Competition Showcases Five Women CPG Founders, $40K in Cash and Prizes Awarded at the 4th Annual Pitch Competition

In celebration of December’s National Write a Business Plan Month, the Enthuse Foundation, a non-profit organization investing in a new generation of women entrepreneurs and cultivating the next generation of business leaders, announced the winners of its 4th Annual Women Founders Pitch Competition held on November 3, 2022.

Five women founders, selected from more than 150 applications, pitched their businesses to a panel of judges vying for cash and other business-building prizes. The winners and grant recipients included:

Grand Prize and Audience Choice Award – $25,000 prize value: Nemi Snacks, Chicago, IL, Founder Regina Trillo. Nemi Snacks, Mexican-inspired snacks made with nopales and seeds using flavors straight out of the kitchen, won $12,500 in cash, 20 hours of in-kind services from Enthuse Marketing, a private session with Marla DiCarlo, Founder and CEO of Raincatcher, and a company valuation report from the organization.

“Thank you to the Enthuse Foundation for making a HUGE difference in the food and beverage industry,” Trillo said. “It’s tough, especially for women, but the Enthuse Foundation is making it easier.”

Runner-Up – $16,500 prize value: Vontélle, Brooklyn, NY, Founders Tracy Vontélle Green and Nancey Harris. – Vontélle, fashion-forward eyewear designed to pay homage to African ancestry with traditional colors and patterns, won $5,000 in cash, 20 hours of in-kind services from Enthuse Marketing, and a company valuation report from Raincatcher.

“Thank you, Enthuse Foundation, for believing in us,” Harris said. “We are grateful for all you do and pour into helping women-owned businesses.”

Femly Social Media Grant – $1,000 value: Tazzy Candy, New York, NY, Founders Delia Hughes and Lindsay Simon. Tazzy Candy, better-for-you candy company, received $1,000 in cash from competition judge Arion Long, founder of Femly and former pitch competition winner, to accelerate its social media marketing.

The finalists included Popadelics, the maker of crunchy shiitake mushroom chips co-founded by Marilyn Yang, and Siponey, the first B Corp-certified cocktail company co-founded by Amanda Victoria. This year’s judges included Kim Lawton, CEO, Enthuse Marketing and Co-Founder of Enthuse Foundation, Bridget Firtle, Founder, Rockaway Drinks, and CPG Investor, Eugene Khabensky, VP Head of Global Ventures, Diageo, Arion Long, Founder, Femly and 2020 Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition Winner.

“We know that women-owned businesses still receive only three percent of venture capital investment,” said Kim Lawton, CEO of Enthuse Marketing and co-founder of the Enthuse Foundation. “Women are out there finding a way, doing it on their own, working a second job, tapping friends and family for funding, and struggling to scale and grow. The Enthuse Foundation is the megaphone that draws attention to the funding disparity facing women-founded businesses. We are here to keep them in business and to grow!”

Since its inception, the Enthuse Foundation has given $150,000 in cash and in-kind services to women-owned businesses through its pitch competition and grant initiative.

The Pitch Competition would not be possible without the generous support of its sponsors and in-kind sponsors, including 21Seeds, Alera Group, Alliant Insurance Services, Berdon LLP, Daigle & Travers Insurance, Hamlin Creative, SIA Scotch Whisky, Webster Bank, Cheeky Cocktails, Diageo, illycaffè, Movers and Shakers Podcast, Raincatcher, and Une Femme Wines.

The Enthuse Foundation provides several resources for entrepreneurs and woman founders as they observe this year’s National Write a Business Plan Month, including the following:·

• How to Put Together a Winning Pitch·
• Setting Up a CPG Business·
• Write a Mission Statement That Connects·
• The Power of Precision: Turning Your Business Plan into an Effective One-Page Summary

About the Enthuse Foundation
The Enthuse Foundation invests in a new generation of women founders and cultivates the next generation of business leaders. It is a non-profit organization serving women entrepreneurs through community building, education, resources, inspiration, mentorship, grants, and events. The Enthuse Foundation is a registered 501(c)3.