Monday, October 1, 2018

EforAll Lowell-Lawrence Social Impact Pitch Contest Recap

Lowell's PCEA Neema Church hosted EforAll Lowell-Lawrence's social impact pitch contest last Thursday evening. The kinds of  businesses looking to make a social impact on the community participating with tables in the showcase and presenting in the pitch contest ranged from power generation to social services to practice space for musicians to gardening. There was so much to take in that I knew I wouldn't be able to absorb it all, but I spoke with as many entrepreneurs as I could and enjoyed every bit of it.

Rev. Dr. Karimi Mumbui Welcoming EforAll to His Church
The church provided an excellent presentation space with multiple video screens, good sound, and plenty of seats. The pastor, who was also one of the judges, welcomed us warmly. Also, I learned that the word "neema" in the church's name means grace in Swahili. (PCEA is Presbyterian Church of East Africa.)

Seriously Good Space for the Presentations
The judges for the pitch contest were:
  • Rev. Dr. Karimi Mumbui -- Founding Minister, PCEA Neema Church
  • Sophy Theam -- Diversity & Inclusion and Leadership Program Specialist, Enterprise Bank
  • Renay Wolterding -- Chef-Owner, Mill City BBQ and Brew
  • Joe Hungler -- Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell
  • Claire Ricker -- Urban Renewal Project Manager, City of Lowell
Judges Getting Ready
Big Checks Just Waiting to be Won
The tables were buzzing. The hallway where they were set up was narrow so it was a challenge to try to check out every table. I made the rounds to talk to as many as possible and use my table favorite voting stickers to help decide who else would get to pitch. Each attendee gets three stickers and it was hard to choose the idea I most wanted to hear. I enjoyed talking to all of these social entrepreneurs and I managed to photograph many of them.

A number of participants were from the UML DifferenceMaker program, including
The scheduled pitchers were:
  • ETRALock
  • Woven Royal
  • Napping House
  • Orvel
  • Playtlist
  • Power Scavengers
I was impressed with ETRALock, a device that attaches to any door in order to help people with disabilities such as arthritis and Parkinson's disease that make it hard to use keys and deadbolts access their homes easily and safely key-free.
ETRALock Table

ETRALock Team Doing Their Pitch
Woven Royal was probably the most surprising of the presenters.  What's surprising about a head wrap? It's made from fabric made out of recycled plastic! Imagine protecting your curls from hat head and helping clean up the beaches of the Dominican Republic at the same time.

Woven Royal
The Woven Royal pitch really captivated the judges and the audience. They're trying to make a social impact in a very unexpected way and it sure seems like they can do it.

Woven Royal Pitch
Napping House pitched a program of accommodations for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
Napping House Table
Napping House Pitch
A plastic waste theme emerged with Orvel's vision of an ocean free of plastic waste. By organizing cleanup events, harnessing the power of media, and partnering with brands, Orvel intends to change the way we think and act toward the ocean and plastics.
Orvel Table

Orvel Pitch
Playtlist was a big hit with an app for people with dietary restrictions (whether health, cultural or religious) to find nearby restaurants that suit their needs.

Playtlist Table
Power Scavengers came all the way from Burlington, Vermont to tell us about their
wearable device that produces electricity solely from the motion of walking.  It's worn as a belt so it's easy to take along on a hike. They like to hike in the mountains and have used it already for charging their devices while hiking the Green Mountains and even Mount Kilimanjaro. Their enthusiasm and optimism was contagious.
Power Scavengers
They were so energetic that they must have generated a ton of electricity just walking back and forth in the hallway demonstrating it.
Power Scavengers Pitch
The table favorite chosen by the sticker voting was Second Chance, an outreach program for women in Lawrence who need connections to multiple types of social services. 
Second Chance Pitch
The wildcard slot, chosen by pulling a business card out of a basket, went to Elevate Lowell. Elevate Lowell is an artist's collective that brings together young urban artists to put on events that combine performing arts, music, and a marketplace that showcases entrepreneurs and creators in Lowell and the surrounding areas. Elevate aims to create opportunities for artists to promote themselves and network with other artists and businesses.

Elevate Lowell Pitch
The voting for the audience choice award went smoothly (the technology can be finicky sometimes) and we had some time to hear short pitches from some of the other folks who had tables and to grab some more of the excellent food while the judges were out deliberating. The judges took a wee bit longer than usual, but I don't blame them. They had tough choices to make. This was an amazing group of pitchers. Actually, it was an amazing group of table participants too.
Delicious Spread of Food
The winners were:

Fan Favorite: Power Scavengers $500
Power Scavengers Fan Favorite
Third Place: Power Scavengers  $500 (yeah, they get 2 checks!)

Power Scavengers Wins Third Place Too
Second Place: Playtlist $750
Playtlist Wins Second Place
First Place: Woven Royal $1000
First Place Goes to Woven Royal!
Congratulations to the winners and to everyone who pitched or tabled. Your ideas are exciting and made for a great event.

Happy Belly Gardening
Chops - Practice Space for Music Students

Measuring Up App for Getting Your Clothes to Fit Right



PhiLance Platform for Freelance Workers
Adventure Code Academy

Sixpence
HipHop Dance Studio