The Creative Coast has announced the Startup Stage finalists that will pitch their companies at GRIT (formerly called Geekend), Savannah’s premier innovation conference. Startup Stage is a business pitch competition during which finalists present their endeavors to a panel of judges and a live audience for a chance at $10,000 in cash and prizes. The competition is scheduled to take place on Friday, January 27th, from 4:30pm – 6:30pm at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.

After a week-long selection process, the Startup Stage committee has chosen the following companies to pitch onstage. The founders and their companies are:

Melanie DeFilippis for Oro Maternal Health Inc.
Sade Shofidiya for BEEnevolent
Johnathan Manning for 88 Technologies
Adam Tsang and Jim Paul Walker for The Whiskey Grail
Rodeline Joseph for Medsembly
Deborah McIncrow for PillowSak, LLC
Kirkland Brooks for Febris
Malcolm Brown for WorkCEO
Startup Stage will be judged by a panel of angel investors and venture capitalists. Judges include Bill Nussey (Partner with the Engage and Tech Square Venture firms, Author and Podcast Host of Freeing Energy), Julianne Roseman (Senior Associate at Plug and Play Tech Center), Bill Glenn (Partner at Fernwood Holdings), and Jim Goodlet (Board Director, Angel Investor, CEO, CTO and Chief Information Architect).

Startup Stage is sponsored by the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC). As Georgia’s technology business incubator, ATDC assists entrepreneurs across the state from IDEA to commercial SUCCESS.

Early Bird tickets for the full, two-day GRIT Conference are currently on sale for only $99 through January 20th. To learn more about Startup Stage and attend the GRIT Conference, visit https://thegritconference.com/startup-stage/.