Pitch@WCC is The Entrepreneurship Center’s premier event of the year, where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas for cash prizes.
Past Winners
Congratulations to our 2023 Pitch winners and finalists!
Start
Alise Brengettcy
Bennett Lai - Marupo's Egg Tarts
WINNER Brooke Marshall - Seed Straws
Build
Parker Martin - epiSLS
WINNER Max Morefield - KISS APP, LLC
Boyang Wang - C-PRO
Grow
Larrissa Carlton - Detroit Flower Wall and Signs
Paula A. Dana - Hooligan Wrap, LLC
WINNER Brian Scott - Broadcast Boot Camp
Nonprofit
WINNER Teiara Massey - Diamond Princess
AUDIENCE CHOICE WINNER Ruth Singleton - Heal 4 Life
Sharda Taylor - Willing Vessels Community Outreach
WCC Student Pitch
Anton Ford
Katherine Keeler
Henry Zhang
Pitch @ WCC 2022 Prize Winners:
START CATEGORY
Grand Prize $1, 500: Emily Holiday, Michigan Refillery
Runner Up $1,000: Lisa Blake, Care Champion
Second Runner Up $750: Oyun-Erdene Damitio, Oyu Global LLC
BUILD CATEGORY
Grand Prize $2000: Satara Holliday, First Love Tours
Runner Up $1,500: Cathryn Coleman, Bouncing Around the Motor City
Second Runner Up $1,000: Cymone Croft, She’s Virtual LLC
All other participants received a free hour of business coaching with Colette Douglas of Elite Customer Service, courtesy of the EC.
Pitch @ WCC 2022 Winner Videos
Click here to watch all of the winning pitch videos from 2022.
2022 Photo Gallery
Grow Category
Grand Prize $1,500: Celeste Green, Spanish For Kids
Runner Up $1,000: Leslie Neal, True 2 You
2nd Runner Up $500: Rita Shelley, Cheeky Spices
Build Category
Grand Prize $1,250: Jacqueline Sun, Brassi
Runner Up $750: Laura Roughton, Revive Functional Nutrition
2nd Runner Up $500: Elizabeth Levy, Essay Help For Colleges
Start Category
Grand Prize $750: Susan Baskett, Black Hair Matters
Runner Up $400: Sarah Burch, NamaSitter
2nd Runner Up $250: LaWanda Hollister, The Chow Hall
Additional Prize:
One free professional development class at WCC up to $200, from the office of WCC Corporate and Lifelong Learning, for each of the twelve Pitch finalists.
Pitch @ WCC 2021 Videos
Click here to watch all twelve pitch participants from 2021.
2019 winners are…
Start Category
1st Place – $1,000:
LikeMe? App
Steven Chettleburgh
Runner-up – $500:
Urban Healthcare Solutions
JoAhne Penney
Build Category
1st Place – $1,250:
Champ Life Pros
Red Jennings
Runner-up – $625:
Bee Present Honey
Rebecca Wittekindt
beepresenthoney.com
Grow Category
1st Place – $1,500:
The Cookie and Crumb
Shanell Smith
Facebook: The Cookie and Crumb
Runner-up – $750:
Beyond Primary Care
Jeff O’Boyle
beyondprimarycare.com
$500 Audience Choice Award
Jane Coaxum’s Golden Care
Charles Cameron
Pitch@WCC, May 2019
2018 winners are....
Start Category
1st Place - $1,000:
CatasRelief
Kiara Patterson & Tiffany Avery
Instagram: CatasReliefLLC
Runner-up - $500:
Michigan Youth Yugioh Academy
Trenton Aeschliman
Build Category
1st Place - $1,250:
EnBiologics
Sean Carroll
enbiologics.com
Runner-up - $625:
MyAaliyah
Danielle Statom
Grow Category
1st Place - $1,500:
Love at First Try
Kerrie Love
loveatfirsttry.com
Runner-up - $750:
EVOLVEcreative presents: No More Parties Fest
Tateanna Hinds & Lamar Turner
$500 Audience Choice Award
CatasRelief, Kiara Patterson & Tiffany Avery
Pitch@WCC 2017 Winners & Photos View the Facebook photo album
Start Category
Winner: Credit Card Shavers Xavier Clemons CreditCardShavers.com Indiegogo: Credit Card Shavers Runner-up: Fresh To The Roots Eduardo Calvachi and Fernando Calvachi freshtotheroots.myshopify.com
Build Category Winner: AXC Apparel (American X Change) Khalid McDowell and Lamar Turner AXCapparel.com Runner-up: Cake It Up Paige Jones
Grow Category
Winner: A's Custom ESL Tutoring L.L.C. Alicia Myers
Runner-up: SpaLyfe Pamela Pettway SpaLyfe.com
Audience Choice Award Sunshine Recumbent Brad Vredeveld and Haiying Gan
Pitch@WCC 2016 Winners & Photos View the Facebook photo album
Start/Build Category Winner: Moonlight Games Matt Beadle Runner-up: Washtenaw Wool Company Carol Ullmann
Grow Category Winner: Sleepy Cricket Healthy Vending Karen Driggs
Runner-up: Nirmal for Disruptive Eating Priya Dass
Audience Choice Award Washtenaw Wool Company Carol Ullmann
For updates on Pitch@WCC winners from 2019-2016, check out the following videos:
Pitch@WCC Press Coverage
"New Pitch event at Ann Arbor Art Fair will offer cash prizes for artists and art entrepreneurs.” Concentrate, Ann Arbor, July 12, 2023, https://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/innovationnews/artpitchevent0688.aspx
"Youth audio production education program among winners in 2023 Pitch@WCC competition,” Concentrate Ann Arbor, June 14, 2023, https://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/innovationnews/pitchwcc0685.aspx
" Six entrepreneurs take home prize money from Pitch@WCC," WCC News, May 17, 2023, https://www.wccnet.edu/news/articles/2023-05-16-pitchwinners.php
"Entrepreneurs encouraged to apply to Pitch@WCC competition, with prizes up to $7,500," Concentrate Ann Arbor, January 25, 2023, https://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/innovationnews/pitchwcc0666.aspx
"Washtenaw Community College awards cash to pitch competition winners," All About Ann Arbor, June 3, 2022, https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2022/06/03/washtenaw-community-college-awards-cash-to-pitch-competition-winners/
"Entrepreneurs Return to WCC to Pitch Business Plans," DBusiness, May 31, 2022, https://www.dbusiness.com/daily-news/dbusiness-daily-update-detroit-filmmaker-debuts-feature-movie-wolf-hound-and-more/
“WCC pitch competition winners include family-friendly salon for Black children,” Concentrate Ann Arbor, May 26, 2021, https://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/innovationnews/blackhairmatters0594.aspx
“Entrepreneurs pitch winning business plans at WCC virtual competition,” WCC News, May 14, 2021, https://www.wccnet.edu/news/articles/2021-05-14-pitchwinners.php
“Aspiring and fledgling entrepreneurs win cash prizes at Pitch@WCC,” WCC News & Events, May 14, 2019, https://www.wccnet.edu/news/2019/2019-05-14-pitch-wcc.php
“Washtenaw Community College holds ‘pitch-off’ for local entrepreneurs May 9 in Ann Arbor,” Click on Detroit, March 22, 2019, https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2019/03/22/washtenaw-community-college-holds-pitch-off-for-local-entrepreneurs-may-9-in-ann-arbor/
“‘Catastrophe room’ business idea wins $1,500 at Pitch@WCC competition,” Concentrate Ann Arbor, May 23, 2018, https://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/innovationnews/catasrelief0458.aspx
“Pitch@WCC competition returns, offering opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs,” Concentrate Ann Arbor, January 17, 2018: https://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/innovationnews/pitchatwcc0440.aspx