On May 11th, we hosted our 12th annual DC Biz Pitch Competition, and it was a night to remember!
At the event, we came together to celebrate our students and hear their inspiring stories of resilience, as well as words of wisdom from guest speakers Sonya Ali, Co-Owner of Ben’s Chili Bowl, Ben’s Next Door, and Ben’s Upstairs restaurants, Denise Edwards, Founding Principal at Sojourner Truth Montessori Public Charter School, and Attorney General Karl Racine.
Check out one of the many testimonials we heard, below, from BUILD student Dantrell, whose BUILD experience is more important than just a business for him, it’s his life.
In addition to the numerous heartfelt student testimonials, we also witnessed youth innovation at its finest.
Shoutout to our 2022 DC Biz Pitch Winners!
Future Friendly E-Commerce Marketplace
Jalen Harris, Founder & CEO
Wakefield High School
Judged by Joshua Taylor, Head of Design, Solana Labs
Ten Toes
Ashlee Tate, CEO, Marcus Smith, COO, Shalon Walker, CMO
IDEA Public Charter School
Judged by Denise Edwards, Founding Principal, Sojourner Truth Montessori Public Charter School
Beaded by LK
Kayla Anderson, CEO, & Lorenzo Chambliss, CFO
SEED Public Charter School
Judged by Connie Chang, Chair and Treasurer, Lever Fund
Shell Kollection
Shelby Taylor, CEO
Theodore Roosevelt Highschool
Judged by Bridget Cherry, Program Officer, Walton Family Foundation
For those of you who were unable to attend last week or would like a recap, you can find a list of event highlights on our YouTube Channel!
Eager to Learn About More BUILD Events?
The Do-Or-Dier Pitch Competition
BUILD Metro DC recently voted Jalen Harris, 2022 DC Biz Pitch Competition Champion, as our Regional Winner in the Do-or-Dier National Pitch Competition. Now, he’s competing against Boston, New York, and California for the top $20K prize, which will be evenly split between Jalen and his school/BUILD program. But in order to bring home that coveted top spot, Jalen must win the popular vote! Click here to discover the result!
Want to know more about this past event? Click here.
