Pitch Contest
FOR-M Founder Showcase
On Nov. 13, the Milwaukee startup ecosystem gathered at Ward4 for the FOR-M Founder Showcase. The program, funded by the MKE Tech Hub Coalition, celebrated the graduation of its fall cohort and honored past graduates with grants.
Grant Winners
Six FOR-M graduate companies received a $10,000 grant to support the emerging companies’ growth. According to Kathy Henrich, MKE Tech Hub Coalition CEO, the FOR-M program has awarded $250,000 in grants to startup companies. To date, 270 emerging companies in eight cohort have participated in the growing program.
Grant Winners:
The Little Colony: A service for recycling gently used children’s clothing and other gear
StayThanks: A consumer rewards app
Lifeline Systems: A rideshare program
Spark: An AI-generate startup business accelerator
Cooper’s Original: An all-natural tick repellent
Nommli: An ethnic-food subscription service paired with cultural education
Grant winner Cooper's Original
Grant winners The Little Colony
Grant winner StayThanks
MKE Tech Hub Coalition CEO Kathy Henrich and the founder of Lifeline Systems
Joe Poeschl of The Commons kicks things off
Pitch Winners
The FOR-M Founders Showcase offered the newest cohort of program graduates the opportunity to introduce their companies to the Milwaukee startup ecosystem. Fifteen emerging companies pitched to a crowded room of eager attendees.
Judges Raisa Koltun of CSA Partners, Arlando Monk of Blacks in Technology and Allan Wick, founder of Wickedcool software chose Technova Industries and MKE Skates as the night’s winners. The People’s Choice winner was Genhead. The three winning companies had the opportunity to take the stage and pitch the business to the crowd.
Participants included:
Curate One: A digital platform for museums to easily create interactive experiences
Geddit Local: An app to connect people with local events and businesses
GenerAIt: An AI toolkit to improve workplace productivity
genhead: AI-based customer leads and marketing provider
HypeUp: An app transforms “smartphones into a synchronized spectacle of lights and visuals”
Jackie Kostichka: Provider of dance therapy
Journey One: A program to connect job seekers and recruiters through training courses
Kiddovative: A “bib clip” that connects the eating surface of a highchair with a child’s bib to decrease mealtime messes
MKE Skates: An easy-to-assemble flat-pack kit to create a portable skate park
Parish Tec: Pre-paid credit cards to help incarcerated people developed a credit score
Shepherd Traffic: An adaptive traffic control system
Technova Industries: Software to enhance existing security systems
Vision Minds Entertainment: Multi-disciplinary mentorship for teens
Win/Lose: Youth mentorship tools
