Here are the 12 finalists for 2022 Miami Herald Startup Pitch Competition community category
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The Miami Herald Startup Pitch Competition has selected 12 finalists for its 23rd annual business plan challenge event.
These finalists in the community track were chosen from dozens of entries submitted by talented founders from throughout the South Florida region. Each of the startups was launched since Jan. 1, 2019.
The firms now have the chance to make their respective business pitches to a panel of judges: Julia Figueiredo, LatAm director for Silicon Valley Bank; Erick Gavin, executive director of Venture Miami; and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, co-founder of Gilt and GlamSquad.
The finalists are getting preparation for the competition from Endeavor, the global business mentoring group, which is providing feedback to incorporate in their virtual presentations to the panel. In addition to being featured in an article in the Miami Herald, winning startups will be fast-tracked into a slot in Endeavor’s E-Lab Accelerator program.
The virtual competition and judging are slated for March 30.
The finalists are:
Catalyst GEM: “Global Education Marketplace” platform for navigating international admissions processes. Founder: John Evans
CityGuyd: Augmented reality tour guide app. Founder: Naor Amir
Column: Software for streamlining the process of publishing public notices. Founder: Jake Seaton
Glamo: Mobile beauty platform for scheduling stylists. Founder: Rishielle Giscombe
Global RCG: “Global Residency & Citizenship Group” advises globe-trotting clients on mobility, visa and passport solutions. Founder: Rogelio Caceres
HeartOut: Platform designed for improving the experience of remote music auditions. Founder: Ciro Fodere
HOPE Hydration: A benefits corporation working to deploy “hydrostations” in cities where users can refill water bottles. Founder: Jorge Richardson
Lien Library: Property lien management platform. Founder: Mac Alabre
Rella: Social media management tools. Co-founder: Natalie Barbu
Storybook: Smartphone app that combines bedtime stories with infant massage to improve sleep in babies and children. Founder: Dani Vega
Voi Logistics: Platform for clearing traffic citations for logistics fleets. Founder: Megan Broccoli
YTeach: Platform for schools to manage peer tutoring programs. Co-founder: Lourdes Aviñó
In addition to the community track, there is a separate startup contest category for students, faculty and alumni from Florida International University, a longtime Herald partner in the annual pitch contest. FIU handles this category of entries and has a separate slate of judges to assess the various startup pitches.
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 8:05 PM.
