Brought to you by the Ford Motor Company Fund, in collaboration with 1863 Ventures, we are excited to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the HI-HERImpact Pitch Competition. Over the past five years, this program has supported women-led social enterprises in Detroit, DC, Miami, and Kansas City, with technical assistance and access to capital. To commemorate this milestone, we are inviting back five former competition winners to pitch their businesses for a chance to take home the $50,000 grand prize. Held in Detroit at our venue partner Newlab @ Michigan Central, the atmosphere will be charged with excitement, innovation, and a shared passion for empowering women entrepreneurs! The event will showcase local women entrepreneurs and their products and provide a space for networking! Come and celebrate five years of advancing women social entrepreneurs! For those who cannot attend in person, we are thrilled to announce that the event will be live-streamed via the 1863 Ventures YouTube.
"As a mom of four children with multiple food allergies, I've been cooking allergen-free since 2004. Not wanting my kids to feel excluded at school and social events, I created snacks that looked and tasted similar to what others were eating, but still delicious and free of the food allergens they had to avoid. In 2015, I started Safely Delicious to share the products I'd been making for my kids, available to others with food allergies.
Safely Delicious manufactures, packages, and sells delicious, one-of-a-kind allergy-friendly snacks, free of the Top 11 Food Allergens (wheat, dairy, peanut, tree nuts, soy, egg, fish, shellfish, sesame, mustard, sulfites), gluten-free, low sodium, high iron, cholesterol free, nothing artificial and no preservatives. There are no other products like ours in the allergen-free food space. Our products look and taste like non-allergen snack products and people can’t tell the difference because our products taste so delicious!
Safely Delicious offer two lines of snack products: SNACK BITES: rice-based, sweet, and crunchy, made with different chocolates and a variety of distinct flavors. SAVORY MEDLEY: a blend of tasty allergy-friendly ingredients, seasoned with bold, local flavors. In addition, we offer Italian Style Croutons and Krumblz Toppings. Even though the ideal customer for Safely Delicious is anyone with food allergies, our products are DELICIOUS for EVERYONE to eat!"
Femly is a technology company that manufactures hi-tech wall mounted dispensers and accompanying organic period products. With sensors that acknowledge skin of all complexions and dedicated features, we're elevating the restroom experience. Sixty three laws require free pads and tampons in restrooms at schools and government buildings around the United States. Despite legislation, the vast majority of organizations are out of compliance and charge users a fee for products. Femly fights period poverty by selling dispensers and menstrual products directly to organizations in education, healthcare, and hospitality. By selling through B2B channels, we're ensuring that cost isn't a barrier to access for end users while supporting inclusion, gender-equity, and employee satisfaction in the workplace.
The Lab Drawer is a mission-driven STEAM company that aims to bridge the education gap in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) fields, particularly among students from underrepresented communities. We deliver hands-on STEAM experience kits to schools and youth-serving organizations, supported by engaging instructional videos. Our goal is to ignite students' interest and excitement in STEAM subjects, fostering a deeper understanding and confidence in these fields. We are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education, empowering the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers to create a better future.
Compostable packaging powered by data and corporate education. Lean Orb is uniquely placed to help enterprise-level customers validate their existing packaging goals and supply a wide range of sustainable product solutions.
Black Girl MATHgic is a transformative initiative dedicated to increasing math confidence, enthusiasm, and fluency, especially in girls and black children. Our signature offering is the Black Girl MATHgic subscription box, complemented by our specialized K-2 bundle and dedicated box for boys (both one-time boxes). Beyond products, we empower young minds through math confidence workshops and inspirational speaking engagements.
The industry experts who will join us for this opportunity.
Melissa L. Bradley is a tri-sector leader and Managing Partner at 1863 Ventures with more than 20 years of entrepreneurship, investment and leadership experience. She is an Adjunct Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University where she teaches impact investing, social entrepreneurship, P2P economies and innovation. Melissa has served as a Presidential Appointee under Presidents Clinton and Obama. Under Clinton, Melissa served as Financial Regulatory Affairs Fellow at the Department of Treasury, Office of Thrift Supervision, where she researched the impact of welfare reform and micro-enterprise lending on the financial industry and authored “IDA Strategy for Asset Accumulation”
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1863 Ventures is a platform that delivers content and connections to New Majority entrepreneurs to foster responsible entrepreneurship and change the support and narrative around their potential and needs.
Our vision is to be the trusted source for, and leading provider of, business knowledge, tools, and support for New Majority businesses in the US to help companies scale and support $100B in new wealth by 2030.
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