Out of 10 entrepreneur-hopefuls who pitched their businesses to a panel of expert judges, four ambitious young ladies walked away with a combined total of $14,000 in seed money for their businesses!
AVENTURA, Fla., Aug. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On July 10, 2024, 20 young ladies from high schools across the nation converged on Cardone Enterprises HQ to participate in a business Pitch Off made possible by a partnership between Seeds of Fortune and the Grant Cardone Foundation (GCF).
Of the 20 students who participated, 10 of them pitched their business ideas to a panel of expert judges. The elite panel of judges included: DJ Irie, Elena Cardone, Sheri Hamilton, Claudienne Hibbert Smith, & Jake Sisk. After considering all of the contestants, the judges nominated three winners to receive cash prizes to invest in their business.
The third place winner was Miss Arty Basilio of Columbia Secondary School. She was awarded $2,000 to fund her business, "Girls With Charms", an app and website where girls are able to collect charms for their different achievements in life. By shining a spotlight on meaningful achievements, Arty's business aims to break the habit of self hatred and not appreciating one's worth that is so prevalent with young ladies today.
Expressing her gratitude to the Grant Cardone Foundation, Arty explained "Thanks to the 10X Pitch Off, I've realized that by just imagining things and not acting on them I'll get nowhere. And to truly succeed you can't just watch but you have to put in the effort and believe in yourself as well."
Vanessa Perez from Randolph Early College High School won second place and received $4,000 to fund "Viva Vital": a subscription based app service that provides a culturally personalized digital cookbook promoting healthier traditional recipes, wellness tips, personalized meal plans, and dietician access with Health Loft.
Vanessa described her Pitch Off experience as "transformative." She went on to say "As I stood there pitching my business idea, I felt a mix of excitement and determination. The environment was electrifying, filled with like-minded individuals all striving for success and growth. The feedback I received was invaluable, pushing me to refine my ideas further. This experience was a pivotal moment for me, validating my business concept and igniting a deeper passion for
entrepreneurship."
The first place winner, receiving a seed money donation of $6,000 was Stacy Guech from Richard Montgomery High School. Stacy presented the judges with her one-of-a-kind product idea: "Aqua Lock" - a swim cap made with three layers, 100% silicon layer, chlorine resistant fabric, and a silk layer, that also includes a non-toxic ink capsule and heartbeat monitoring chip. This product is made to be suitable for all hair types and help prevent drowning deaths among swimmers.
Reflecting on her first place nomination, Stacy remarked: "The 10X Kids Pitch Off competition at the Grant Cardone Foundation was an enlightening experience that provided me with the space and materials to thrive during my pitch. One key takeaway from my experience at the pitch-off is the importance of bouncing back and continually improving, which ultimately led to my first-place award in the competition."
All together, the top three winners received $12,000 in seed money. But the judges were so impressed by the submissions that they awarded an additional $2,000 award to a fourth contestant, Sagata Das from Groton School in New York. Sagata pitched "Pixie Safe" - an innovative technology developed to protect artists and creators from AI-facilitated online harassment, exploitation, piracy and privacy violations.
"The 10X Pitch Off showed me that regardless of my background, I have what it takes to succeed in business," Sagata explained. "It's been an incredible learning experience that I'll carry with me forever."
In addition to the grand total of $14,000 distributed, Elena Cardone purchased and gifted a website domain to a fifth contestant and all 20 girls who attended the pitch off received free access to Cardone University to help them on their entrepreneurial journey.
"This was an incredibly special 10X Kids Pitch Off, because the contestants were all aspiring, female entrepreneurs," commented Sheri Hamilton, Chairwoman of the Grant Cardone Foundation and COO for Cardone Training Technologies. "I saw brilliance in all 10 presenters today and I'm confident they will take this experience with them as they begin their entrepreneurial journeys."
For more information, visit https://grantcardonefoundation.com/.
- About Grant Cardone: Grant Cardone is a Fund Manager and Real estate investor with over 4 Billion dollars of assets under management, an American author, business consultant, and speaker. He is a New York Times Best Selling author of more than eight books: Sell To Survive, The Closer's Survival Guide, If You're Not First, You're Last, The 10X Rule, Sell or Be Sold, The Millionaire Booklet, Be Obsessed or Be Average, and The Wealth Creation Formula. Grant showed off his revenue driving ability and promotional prowess when he was featured in Discovery Channel's Undercover Billionaire, Season 2.
- About The Grant Cardone Foundation: The Grant Cardone Foundation is an international non-profit organization invested in helping youth in our communities reach their full potential. Entrepreneur and best-selling author, Grant Cardone, created the foundation as a result of experiencing the traumatic loss of his father when he was only ten years old. Growing up without a father figure in his life affected him emotionally, socially, and academically. So he has made it his mission to help young adults who may need life and career guidance, just as he once did. The foundation partners with community organizations, municipal agencies, corporations, and other non-profit entities to help deliver energy and educational resources to kids in need.
- About The Seeds of Fortune: The Seeds of Fortune Inc. is a renowned organization dedicated to empowering young women from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Through innovative programs, mentorship, and guidance, we aim to equip these future leaders with the tools they need to excel academically, professionally, and personally.
Media Contact
Public Relations, Cardone Training Technologies, Inc., 310-777-0255, [email protected], https://grantcardonefoundation.com/
SOURCE Cardone Training Technologies, Inc.
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