The 10th Annual Crowdfunded Pitch Night showcases 10 aspiring entrepreneurs to the Charlottesville community, who will vote with their dollars. Flash pitches will share the contestant’s vision with the community and inspire the crowd to action! The evening will conclude with a round of crowd voting — YOU get to be involved! — in support of the idea the crowd feels is most likely to be successful. The pool of money goes to the winner. This event connects culturally diverse and innovative members of the Charlottesville community to showcase Charlottesville as a hub for unity and opportunity.

Each finalist has the opportunity to raise funds both before and during the pitch night. ALL donations intended for a startup or project will go to that startup! Before the pitch night, there will be a donation portal open to contribute toward a project, and at the pitch night, the audience can purchase votes to support the projects that most inspire them. ALL monies intended for a startup will go to that startup.

In addition to the crowdfunded support, the Community Investment Collaborate (CIC) is sponsoring a grand prize winner to receive a max $5,000. A winner will be selected by a panel of judges. Additional prizes and support services from CIC and other local business owners may also be awarded.

This event is free to attend and open to the public! 
CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION TO YOUR FAVORITE FINALISTS!

2023 Finalists:

1. Corey Hoffman (Neon Culture Brewing): a black-owned craft beer brewery hoping to become the first of its kind in the Charlottesville area
2. Daniel Ginsberg (Utrain Inc.): an all-in-one basketball training software solution
3. Dominique Cocuzza (NuAge): a mobile app designed to help women 35+ age better by supporting them in adopting targeted lifestyle habits that optimize aging
4. Eboni Feggans (Allure round-the-clock): a vending machine that allows users to access timeless beauty products
5. Janasha Bradford (Mahogany and Friends): a mission-based brand that bridges the gap in financial literacy and entrepreneurship available to children while empowering and inspiring them to follow their dreams
6. Josh Pritchett (Veo Careers): an employment platform that connects formerly incarcerated career seekers and those with criminal records to background-friendly employers across the US
7. Merci Best (STEAMKITX): an education company that provides novel, hand-crafted science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and art (STEAM) kits to solve the lack of affordable, research-based, and fun learning tools for kids ages 5 through 12
8. Scott Tiernan (POP Plastic): a creative reuse center that refabricates locally-collected, post-consumer plastic into furniture, home goods, and accessories
9. Wendy Winkler (The Rusty Iris Art Bus): a school bus transformed into a double-decker, mobile sculpture, art exhibit and venue, built for the purpose of inviting others to create within it
10. Yolonda Coles Jones (The RESTORE Project): a mindfulness-based initiative to empower BIPOC residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle County to bring more calm, rest and quality attention into their everyday lives so that they can last, love well and live wisely

Full finalists’ information can be found at www.tomtomfoundation.org/crowdfunded-pitch

For more information on the Crowdfunded Pitch Night, the finalists, event hosts, or other events taking place during the Tom Tom Festival, please visit www.tomtomfoundation.org/ or https://cicville.org.

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Speakers

Sponsored by

The Community Investment Collaborative