Six entrepreneurs, with businesses as diverse as an e-commerce marketplace and recycling pickleballs, will make their best pitches in a “Shark Tank” atmosphere Saturday in hopes of winning cash and exposure.
SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) is holding its second annual pitch competition in Naples at the Botanical Gardens.
“It’s not all about money, it’s about understanding how to grow your business, plus exposure,” said Adrienne Robinson, who is a SCORE mentor and director of education as well as organizer of the event. The winner will receive $5,000.
SCORE selected the finalists after receiving 30 applications in May. The business had to be in existence for a year. The six finalists are from Lee and Collier counties.
The presenters will be judged on their financials, growth strategies, understanding their customers, problem solving and critical thinking.
Nick Barrett, last year’s winner, will be one of five judges this year.
Barrett started CordBrick LLC in 2020 and went to market with its first products, weighted silicone cord holders that keep cables in place, in 2021. It was voted the Coolest Product at the National Retail Federation Consumer Products Showcase.
“It’s a unique competition. You have 10 minutes to pitch,” he said. “The $5,000 to any founder like me is a nice chunk of change.”
Winning brings more than money, it gives you confidence, he said.
His advice to the contestants: be passionate and be yourself.
He said practice and doing podcasts helped him.
Prizes are:
- 1st place - $5,000
- 2ND place - $3,500
- 3rd place - $1,500
- Audience choice - $900
- Runners up - $200 each
The six finalists are:
- Alicia Farman started Lux Networking in Naples in 2021. Lux helps business owners build relationships that lead to “real opportunities and revenue.” She has a background in sales, marketing, financial services and event-based relationship marketing.
- Dillon Rosenthal is the founder and CEO of BounceBack Pickle, the “first circular supply chain built for pickleball.” He has a network that collects cracked pickleballs in almost 100 facilities in 13 states, reprocesses the plastic and remolds them into recycled pickleballs. He is a 2026 graduate of FGCU’s School of Entrepreneurship.
- Justin Fiorello is the founder of Hoop-Dee Mats, a reusable automotive drip-protection system to replace cardboard and disposable trays. The system is a cleaner solution. The company has more than $5,000 in pre-sales. He has an automotive social-media following of more than 400,000 and participated in the FGCU entrepreneurship program.
- Khandyce Mosely is the founder of Balosi Spirits, a wine and spirits brand. She was born in Fort Myers. She is a consultant and grant writer. “She brings together business strategy, culture and purpose to build a brand that represents more than a premium spirit – it represents legacy.”
- Michelle Joy Kramer owns Samvada Consulting LLC in Naples. She is a board-certified holistic health practitioner. Her goal is to package, scale and distribute to doctors across the country her online program she has developed over the last 16 years. She’s a triathlete who qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii and the Bost Marathon.
- Kiran & Yatin Shelar co-founded TurtlesEgg in Naples. TurtlesEgg is a “commerce platform helping independent businesses sell products, book services and reach customers nationally and locally.”
Yatin has experience owning and building international manufacturing operations across several continents.
The judges are:
- Nicholas Barrett, founder of CordBrick LLC and last year’s winner.
- Danielle Russo-Slugh, director of fund operations for Tamiami Angel Funds
- Ted Coine, CEO of Benevolent Capital Group
- David Gordley, executive vice president and Naples market president of First Horizon Bank
- Sandra Plazas, director of community education/Goodwill SWFL
IF YOU GO
- WHAT: SCORE 2nd Annual Pitch Competition
- WHERE: FGCU Kapnick Research Center, Naples Botanical Garden
- 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples
- WHEN: 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 12
- HOW MUCH: $15, includes lunch
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