Northwest Women's Fast Pitch Semifinals: Fostering Innovation and Access to Capital

Continuing our road trip across the United States, summer is in full swing, and our next stop on the Women’s Fast Pitch is the Northwest, a region known for its high quality of life, with stunning natural landscapes, vibrant cultural scenes, and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. This attracts talented individuals who seek a fulfilling lifestyle alongside their professional endeavors, making it prime cultivating soil for purposeful startup businesses to thrive!

At the Stella Foundation, we're thrilled to host the NEXT stop on the Women’s Fast Pitch series, the NORTHWEST regionals to hear from exceptional 5 semifinalists on Thursday, June 20, 2024, 6-9 pm EST / 3-6 pm PST, to pick the winner to go onto the Women’s Venture Summit in September 2024.?

Register here to hear all the pitches & gain access to excellent deal flow: https://live.remo.co/e/wfp-northwest/register

Midwest Semifinalists - learn more about them below:

?? Shelley Elkovich | For Bitter For Worse

?? Cori Omundson | Rising Wines Collective

?? Janice Williams Oliver | MisTee Wants To Know, Inc.

?? Amy Yan | Nowadays (YC S23)

?? Anna Fuller | Halo

Why is the Northwest an excellent region to launch and scale a startup business?

1. Diverse and Growing Economy: The US Northwest has a diverse and rapidly growing economy, with strong sectors in technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and sustainable energy. This economic diversity provides startups with various opportunities for growth, partnerships, and market access, helping them to scale and succeed in a dynamic and supportive business environment.
2. Skilled Talent Pool: The region boasts a highly educated workforce, thanks to renowned universities such as the University of Washington and Oregon State University. These institutions produce a steady stream of skilled graduates in tech and related fields, providing a rich talent pool for startups.
3. Supportive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem & Infrastructure: The US Northwest offers a robust support system for startups, including numerous incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces. Organizations and networks dedicated to helping new businesses thrive provide mentorship, resources, and funding opportunities, fostering a nurturing environment for entrepreneurs.

Introducing the Founders, the Semifinalists for the Women’s Fact Pitch Northwest! Each of these visionary leaders has showcased extraordinary innovation and determination in their respective fields:

?? Shelley Elkovich | For Bitter For Worse | Portland, Oregon

Shelley Elkovich is the co-founder, CEO, and Flavor Maven of For Bitter For Worse . Confronted with a health challenge, Shelley decided to break up with alcohol and redirect her passion for cocktails into crafting sophisticated non-alcoholic recipes. Leveraging her extensive knowledge and enthusiasm, she began developing drinks that offer the same complexity and enjoyment as traditional cocktails but without the alcohol. Together with Jeff, known as the Reverse Bootlegger, they devised a unique, patent-pending process to scale these innovative recipes. Since the launch of For Bitter For Worse in 2020, Shelley and Jeff have been transforming the social beverage landscape, offering an array of distinctive non-alcoholic drinks that have redefined the party scene and provided a delightful alternative for those seeking mindful consumption. Under Shelley's leadership, For Bitter For Worse has gained recognition for its creativity and commitment to quality, making a significant impact on the beverage industry.

?? Cori Omundson | Rising Wines Collective | Mercer Island, Washington

Cori Omundson founded Rising Wines Collective with the belief that wine enthusiasts value community as much as they do quality wine. The Collective connects wine lovers with some of the finest small-production wines from Washington, California, and Oregon. Beyond offering exceptional wines, they provide captivating stories about the winemakers, thoughtful food and wine pairings curated by experts in the field, and valuable wine tips. Their mission is to foster the creation of new memories with each bottle shared, enhancing the enjoyment and appreciation of wine through a sense of connection and shared experiences. By curating a selection of unique wines and enriching the experience with insightful content, Rising Wines Collective aims to unite people and celebrate the joy of wine in meaningful ways.

?? Janice Williams Oliver | MisTee Wants To Know, Inc.

Janice Williams Oliver is transforming hair care with the innovative MisTeePRO, a handheld steaming tool reminiscent of Dyson’s quality, specifically designed for curly and coily hair. Her company,?MisTee Wants To Know, Inc. , is a Hair Wellness Brand dedicated to providing fast, efficient detangling and maintenance for curly and coily hair types through, first, a patented hardware tool and an all-natural formulation. This groundbreaking solution and innovative approach addresses the unique needs of 65% of the world's population, providing a much-needed advancement in hair care technology and convenience for those with textured hair. Through her visionary approach, Janice is setting a new standard in the hair care industry, ensuring that individuals with curly and coily hair can achieve optimal hair health and manageability.?

?? Amy Yan | Nowadays (YC S23) ?

Nowadays (YC S23) is pioneering the first AI co-pilot for event planning, designed to recover hours typically lost to manual tasks and allow users to focus on what truly matters, bringing people together through the magic of events! With a dynamic & experienced team, backed by Y Combinator , Anna Sun , Co-founder & CEO, previously PM & SWE at Datadog , DoorDash , and 亚马逊 , studied Computer Science and graduated from 美国麻省理工学院 , and Amy Yan , Co-founder & COO, formerly worked in strategy & operations roles at 谷歌 , Meta , and 麦肯锡 . This innovative AI system automates outreach to venues and vendors, efficiently manages communications, and ensures the event stays within budget. Nowadays provides a personalized event planning experience, leveraging advanced technology to handle the complexities and nuances of organizing events. By streamlining the entire planning process, Nowadays (YC S23) transforms how events are planned, making it more efficient and enjoyable for everyone involved.

?? Anna Fuller | Halo | Seattle, Washington

Anna Fuller , ?? repeat founder, ??? e-commerce expert, ?? toddler mom, ??♀? marathoner, ??? PNW explorer, founded Halo , an innovative e-commerce platform tailored for new moms, featuring a wide range of products from maternity through toddlerhood. Halo hosts special weekly flash deal events where the more people who join a shopping party, the greater the savings for everyone. With over a decade of experience in e-commerce, Anna designed Halo to make the shopping experience both fun and rewarding for new moms. By combining community-driven shopping with exceptional deals, Halo provides a unique and engaging way for mothers to find everything they need during these critical stages of parenthood. At Halo , they are bringing the ? magic of shopping together ? to new moms across the US.?

Register today for the Northeast WFP today to watch these innovative & amazing female founders pitch: https://live.remo.co/e/wfp-northwest/register

Pitch competitions offer tremendous advantages, but it’s crucial to address the broader issues of gender equity within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. At the Stella Foundation , we are dedicated to fostering a more inclusive environment for women entrepreneurs through targeted initiatives to level the playing field. Our commitment to diversity and inclusivity is central to our efforts, as evidenced by events and programs such as:

• Women's Fast Pitch
• Women's Venture Summit
• Stella Labs accelerator
• Stella Angels investment group.

These initiatives are designed to provide women entrepreneurs with the resources, support, and opportunities they need to succeed, ensuring that they can thrive in a competitive landscape. By championing gender equity and promoting diverse voices, we strive to create a more equitable and vibrant entrepreneurial community.

Join us to network with fellow founders, investors, and community leaders. More importantly, come cheer for these inspiring women as they compete for a chance to advance to the WFP Finals at the Women's Venture Summit in San Diego this September!

Get your tickets to WVS here: https://lnkd.in/gcCKqww

We are thrilled for this season and excited to showcase some amazing women founders who will inspire you. Whether you’re an angel investor ready to activate your capital or a VC looking to expand your portfolio of early-stage companies, these women will impress and inspire you!

WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME GOOD HUMANS - ALIGNED SPONSORS & PHILANTHROPISTS - who want to be efficient with their capital and donations to an organization that does incredible and meaningful impact. DONATE here: https://wearestellaco.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate

About Stella Foundation: Stella Foundation is a 501(c)3 that connects women founders and investors to the right resource–at the right time–in their journeys. From ideation to funding to exit, women founders and investors look to Stella for its powerful constellation of support made up of an inclusive community, curriculum, access to capital events and an annual Summit, advisory services and funding opportunities. Let’s connect the stars, together.

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