IMPACT Central Indiana’s “PitchFeast” is a biannual event giving ten entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business or startup to a group of investors. Three winners walk away with low-interest loans worth up to $25,000.
In May 2024, the top amount went to the Nyla Nova STEMversity program.
Who is Nyla Nova? She’s a 9-year-old superhero helping children ages 3 to 10 learn about core concepts in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). PitchFeast attendees were lucky enough to spot her at the May event stumping for the educational program named after her.
Nyla Nova STEMversity is an enrichment resource for early learners that kickstarts their journey with STEM. Through fun, hands-on experiments, kids learn foundational concepts that will give them a boost in upper grade math and science courses.
When she’s not out making the world a more interesting and educational place for kids, Nyla Nova is Nyla Denaé, the daughter of Nakeisha Washington, founder of the STEMversity.
For twenty years, Nakeisha taught high school and middle school science in various education settings in Indiana and Florida.
“In a way, I feel like I’ve been preparing for PitchFeast for years,” she said, laughing. “Not many audiences are tougher to convince than teenagers.”
That experience helped Nakeisha make a successful pitch to investors during her allotted five minutes. It isn’t much time, but that’s where the broad-based value of Nyla Nova came in handy.
“Nearly everybody knows a three- to ten-year-old,” Nakeisha said. “So this program resonates with people. Plus, we go beyond STEM concepts. We create a community environment for our youngest learners, treating them like STEM leaders, problem solvers, and critical thinkers. The earlier they access these concepts—and that confidence—the better student they’ll be later.”
If you’re working on a presentation for PitchFeast, Nakeisha suggests taking advantage of programs like the PitchFeast Peer Group & Mentor Program as well as PitchFeast Office Hours.
“Going to those early classes helped me develop my pitch and my story, making it more accessible and attractive to investors,” Nakeisha said.
She plans to use the $25,000 loan to help grow her staff and expand the number of schools and families in Nyla Nova’s orbit.
“Only being several years in, this is a critical point for a new business,” she noted. “Starting a business—as hard as it is—is a lot easier than running a business. PitchFeast helps free up capital for minority and minority-serving businesses that aren’t always able to find it—keeping them going so they can put down roots and maintain consistency. With a low-interest loan, you get that space to really grow and develop, not just hang on.”
A 2021 study from the Federal Reserve Banks showed that Black- and Latino-owned businesses applying for non-emergency financing were less than half as likely as white-owned firms to get approval—even when both firms shared a low credit-risk rating.
As Indy continues to earn notice as a national leader in Black-startups, stronger equity in access to capital is playing an important role.
Financial instruments like IMPACT Central Indiana work to combat this inequity, shoring up financial resources for underserved communities so that every business can prosper—no matter their place, race or identity.
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