The Creative Coast’s FastPitch competition returned in its ninth year at Service Brewing in Savannah on May 24th for an afternoon of startup pitches, prize money, and networking opportunities. Three out of the nine area businesses that participated won cash from a $10k prize pool provided by the Savannah Economic Development Authority.

Each startup was given five minutes to pitch their business to a panel of judges using a slide deck.  After all of the pitches were complete, the judges deliberated and voted on the top three pitches based on the viability of the concept, how fundable the idea was, and how well the founders presented it.

The third place $1,500 award went to OSH Consulting, LLC founded by Sherone Hubbard. OSH Consulting provides responsible drug inventory management and compliance in hospital settings. 

Hubbard shared the value of mentorship when it came to preparing for FastPitch: “I practiced with others and took their feedback seriously and prepared for the questions I might have received and it worked,” said Hubbard.

The $2,500 second-place place prize was awarded to The Animation TV Network, the first-ever Black-owned streaming animation network. The Animation TV Network was founded by Jermaine & Whaketa Hargrove and presented by Micah King.  

King said The Animation TV Network will continue building on its platform and is even “looking to make their footprint in Savannah by participating in more events and relocating to the area soon.”

The $5,000 grand prize was awarded to The Arionna Collection, founded by Danietté A Thomas. The Arionna Collection is a high-end fashion brand designed for working women with the goal of making clients feel comfortable, confident and powerful. Thomas, a SCAD Alumna whose work has been featured during two seasons of New York Fashion Week and who has showcased her custom designs at the 2020 Oscars, shared stats and research to support her pitch. 

During her pitch, Thomas shared that “57% of women feel there are no clothes to fit their body type” and “47% of women struggle with body confidence when shopping for clothes.” Her solution is to provide cutting-edge clothing styles for a wide range of women with a focus on career wear with stretch and body-conscious styles. 

Thomas shared her plans moving forward consist of participating in more pitch competitions as well as forums. “I am looking forward to the growth!” she said.

The six additional competitors at FastPitch 2023 were:

HUMBLEHQ presented by Brett Baines

Tupelo Labs presented by Skyler Reep

NexAI presented by Lorna Kangethe

BAWDY presented by Tyiana Sansbury

Vistos presented by Zachary Tyler

FanDab presented by Chrissy Earl and Wheeler Flemming

FastPitch 2023 was made possible by generous sponsors, including the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Built on Purpose, the Small Business Assistance Corporation, Plug and Play Tech Center, InventureIT, Blue Edge Business Solutions, Coastal Navigator, and chooseSAV. 

To learn more about The Creative Coast’s social and educational programs for entrepreneurs and innovators, visit www.thecreativecoast.org.