Enthuse Foundation Celebrates Women CPG Founders at Annual Pitch Competition $45K in Cash and Prizes Awarded at Standing Room Only Event in NYC

The 2023 Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition finalists pose with the four judges and Enthuse Foundation Co-Founders Kim Lawton and Kristy Snyder after the 5th Annual Event on November 9, 2023 at the Helen Mills Theater in Manhattan.

Sizzle Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6OEZi-jEFY

NEW YORK, NY – November 15, 2023 – The Enthuse Foundation, a non-profit organization investing in a new generation of female entrepreneurs and cultivating the next generation of business leaders, held its 5th Annual Women Founders Pitch Competition on November 9, 2023, at the Helen Mills Theater in Manhattan. The competition was simulcast virtually to a nationwide audience and included a marketplace of 14 different women-owned brands including the five finalists.

Five women founders, selected from more than 300 applications, pitched their businesses to a panel of judges vying for cash and other business-building prizes. The winners included:

Grand Prize  – $22,000 prize value: SAYSO, New York, NY, Founders: Chloe Bergson and Alison Evans. SAYSO sells the first-ever cocktail or mocktail mix in a tea bag, won $10,000 in cash, 20 hours of in-kind services from Enthuse Marketing and a one-year membership to Luminary

“The Pitch Competition is a fantastic opportunity to get in front of industry experts and become involved in the Enthuse Foundation community that really champions women entrepreneurs,” said Bergson and Evans. “We’re thrilled to have won the Pitch! It helps to validate our innovative new product, and we can’t wait to start putting the prizes to use!”

Runner-Up – $15,000 prize value:  SipWell Wine Co., San Diego, CA, Founder: Hilary Cocalis. –Sipwell Wine Co., a premium wine with a can-do spirit, won $5,000 in cash, 20 hours of in-kind services from Enthuse Marketing.

“I am so grateful to the Enthuse Foundation for offering so many great resources and a platform for amplifying the hard work of women founders in CPG, who have historically been underfunded and undervalued,” said Cocalis.  “And now as a pitch finalist and 2023 runner-up, I’m looking forward to strengthening my connection to the Enthuse Foundation and this community of founders.”

Audience Choice – $2,500 value: Resist Nutrition New York, NY, Founders Emily Cohen and Lindsay Simon.  Resist Nutrition, clinically-backed protein bars for hormone and blood sugar balance, won $2,500 in cash.

The finalists included NineteenTwenty, a brand that creates clothing that combines functionality and revolutionizes sustainability, founded by Ashley Sankar, and In the Kitchen with Alexandra, the first-ever premium Haitian condiment, founded by Alexandra Baker.

“We started the Enthuse Foundation – to give women founders access to the right audiences, to resources, insights, support, and funding,” said Kim Lawton, competition judge and co-founder of Enthuse Marketing and the Enthuse Foundation. ” Here’s the startling reality – that of ALL venture capital funding, less than 2% of that investment goes into women-owned businesses. Think about what’s at stake. Imagine the untapped potential, the innovative ideas, and the transformative businesses that are being overlooked.  Our mission is about more than statistics. It’s about these extraordinary founders and shining a light on them and their businesses.

Since its inception, the Enthuse Foundation has given $200,000 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 The Alera Group, Alliant Insurance Services, Citrin Cooperman, Daigle & Travers Insurance, Webster Bank, BrandSpoken, Cheeky Cocktails, illycaffè, Josh’s Wine, Luminary, Ron Zacapa, SeedLip, SIA Scotch Whisky, Share Your Story Podcast, and Une Femme Wines.

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. Learn more.