Pitch Contest

FOR-M graduates 10th cohort

November 19, 2024 | Anna Lardinois, Startup Storyteller

MKE Tech Hub Coalition’s FOR-M Founders’ Showcase celebrated to completion of its 10 cohort and the Milwaukee startup ecosystem came to Ward4 to celebrate with them.

Program leaders Joe Poeschl of MKE Tech Hub Coalition and Maggie Fernandes of We Pivot launched FOR-M in the fall of 2019. Since then, the incubator program has played a crucial role in fostering Milwaukee’s tech startup ecosystem over the past five years.

To date, more than 300 founders have participated in the FOR-M program, benefiting from the support of over 150 coaches. These coaches provide valuable feedback, advice, and connections, helping early-stage founders navigate the complexities of starting and growing a tech-based business.

Designed to accommodate working adults, the six-week program is offered free of charge and features a hybrid schedule of in-person and virtual sessions. The incubator is open to emerging businesses at any stage and focuses on providing an “on-ramp” to the Milwaukee tech startup ecosystem.

Presenters

Three emerging companies pitched to the audience at the Founders’ Showcase.

Judges Angela Damiani of Midwest Founders Community; Dr. Grace Hameister, founder of FoodFiXer; Naveen Kankate, founder of StayThanks; and Ken Ostermann, founder of Talimer, evaluated the 21 emerging companies in the cohort and chose two founders to present their company to the audience.

Additionally, attendees of the event had the opportunity to vote for their favorite company to win the third presentation slot.

Law LM, an AI-based tool designed to help lawyers manage complex litigation cases, was the judges’ favorite of the evening. Designed by a practicing litigator, a beta version of the software is currently being used in the field.

Spatial Audio Workstation was also chosen by the judges. Founders Joshua Bultman, Aidan Waterman, and Kaden Young presented their beginner-friendly audio production tool to the audience. The software is currently in minimal viable product (MVP) format and is being used by select independent production companies.

The audience voted to see Mwanje Thompson, founder of Audio Moguls Media, present his podcast network at the showcase. Thompson currently has 20 shows in his growing network and is working on an app that rewards loyal listeners.