left to right: Victoria E. Thomas-Bodie, Cassandra Williams, Aaron Russell, Charla Yearwood
On Monday, May 22, PitchFeast held another successful pitch competition in partnership with IMPACT Central Indiana and our three-year sponsor, First Internet Bank. Nine entrepreneurs pitched their unique business ideas among judges and numerous attendees.
The results are in! Four local Black and Brown-led businesses will receive investment capital and other wraparound services. These investments help accelerate and ignite innovations in the community.
ABOUT THE WINNERS
VICTORIA E. THOMAS-BODIE (THE PINK TUB, LLC)
—First place, $25,000
Victoria E. Thomas-Bodie, founder of The Pink Tub, LLC
As a survivor of triple negative breast cancer, founder Thomas-Bodie knows firsthand that there are harmful chemicals found in many mainstream skincare products. The PINK Tub, LLC offers handmade, opulent, organic bath and body products made from grade A ingredients daily. Each product is handcrafted with precise measurements in grams, ounces and love, utilizing what Thomas-Bodie calls the 5-5-3 method: 5 vitamins, 5 moisturizers, and 3 antioxidants.
CASSANDRA WILLIAMS (EDUCATION INNOVATION 360°)
—Second place, $15,000
Cassandra Williams, founder of Educational Innovation 360°
Cassandra Williams of Educational Innovation 360° supports school districts by helping teachers level up their skills in the classroom expediting teacher growth and student academic achievement. Their team of industry professionals works one-on-one with educators to listen to their concerns, observe their teaching methods, and respond to their students’ needs to provide evidence-based solutions in classroom instruction, preparation, and strategy implementation. In order to help teachers raise student achievement, Educational Innovation 360° uses the latest and most effective educational methodologies.
AARON RUSSELL (RUSSELL GROOMING)
—Third place, $10,000
Aaron Russell, founder of Russell Grooming
Russell Grooming empowers the everyday man to achieve professional-level hair styling results from home. Through their innovative DIY hair styling tools and products, they’re committed to helping customers build self-esteem and confidence by transforming their grooming routines. Their motto, “hair changes everything,” reflects their dedication to revolutionizing men’s haircare, one product at a time. As an e-commerce company, they’re constantly striving to make high-quality grooming accessible to everyone
CHARLA YEARWOOD (CONENCTED IN COMMUNITY)
—audience choice, $5,000
Charla Yearwood, founder of Connected in Community
Through Connected in Community, Black, Queer, and social justice-minded people can gain wellness, tackle complex emotions, and build community. They provide both mental health psychotherapy and massage therapy services, and they believe we are all connected in, by and through community.
Other participants included:
- Morales Marketing, LLC
- Consistent Care Transit, LLC
- Intimate Oasis
- Indy Black Brides
- Glamazon Body and Beauty Wellness Studio
GET INVOLVED
IMPACT Central Indiana provides donors with an impact investment vehicle—a donor IMPACT account—through which they can use charitable dollars to invest in for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises that have a social or charitable component. Successful investments will then flow back into the donor’s IMPACT account and can be redeployed in subsequent IMPACT investments.
READY FOR THE NEXT COMPETITION?
Our next IMPACT investment pitch competition is set to take place in September 2023. Stay tuned for more details.
QUESTIONS?
Interested in being involved or investing in the next PitchFeast event in September 2023? Want to learn more about investing with IMPACT Central Indiana or any other aspect of IMPACT Central Indiana’s work?
Contact Sarah Weaver, J.D. at SarahW@cicf.org or Tom Kilian at TomK@cicf.org.
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