GiveNext Wins $20,000 First Prize in 2013 COSE Business Pitch Competition
CLEVELAND, Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Daniel Mansoor of GiveNext in Shaker Heights, Ohio took home the $20,000 first prize in the 2013 COSE Business Pitch Competition. GiveNext is an online (and mobile) dashboard where donors transact and manage their charitable giving in partnership with the causes they care about.
The final judging event in the competition was held at Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio and featured celebrity judge Jeff Hoffman, CEO and co-founder of the Priceline.com family of companies. More than 200 attendees watch the final judging event, which served as the official kick-off to the 2013 Small Business Convention.
COSE awarded a total of $40,000 in prize money to the final four participants. The competition was sponsored by CrowdIt, FIT Technologies, Safety Controls Technology and 10,000 Small Businesses. Besides GiveNext, the other winners included:
Second Place - $10,000
Erika Boll – The Toasted Oat, LLC
The Toasted Oat, LLC is a gluten-free granola manufacturer established in January 2013. The company targets wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer sales.
Third Place - $5,000
Nichelle McCall – BOLD Guidance, Inc.
BOLD Guidance makes applying to college less stressful with mobile and computer- based apps, that allows students to easily and efficiently manage the college application process from anywhere.
Fourth Place - $5,000
Deb Stanzak – RonWear Port-able Clothing
RonWear Port-able Clothing® is a manufacturer of fashionable apparel, designed for comfort, modesty as well as ease of access for anyone who requires infusion for medical treatments.
A total of 50 aspiring entrepreneurs submitted entries in the competition, consisting of a two-page executive summary and two-minute video pitching their idea. A panel of experts reviewed the entries and the top 12 were invited to COSE's offices on October 2 to make face-to-face pitch presentations to the judges. Out of that phase of the judging, the top four finalists advanced to the final judging event.
About COSE
COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises) is committed to empowering small business success through a series of programs, services, events, and resources that support entrepreneurs, their businesses—and their employees. COSE helps small businesses achieve their idea of success in order to build richer, more vibrant communities that improve the economic climate and enhance quality of life. You can learn more about COSE at www.cose.org or contacting one of our small business concierges at 866-553-5427.
SOURCE Council of Smaller Enterprises
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