Our 3rd Annual Pitch Competition was a major success! Our entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to a panel of industry leaders, gained insightful feedback, and even sold their products/services on site to family and friends after the event.
The 1st place winner was Natalie Nieves, the Founder of Bold Creations, a graphic design business and our 2nd place winner was Brianna Smith, the Founder of Kraftii Kouture, a handcrafted jewelry business. Every participant was also awarded $1,000 in funding for their business thanks to a generous donation!
Natalie, an intern in the Web Department, was only 15 years old when she started Bold Creations, making flyers for her friend’s house parties. Ever since, Bold Creations has flourished, expanded, and moved onto becoming a freelance graphic design business that specializes in branding. The funding she received from the competition will help her business grow in many ways.
“The Pitch competition has helped my business tremendously! I can now begin to look for office space to separate my work life from my home life. I ️can also officially invest into another brand photoshoot to take my content and work to the next level.”
Thank you to all of our participants (Nyree, Michael, Kyla, Peggy, Brianna, and Natalie ) - our incredible judges, and our sponsors - Holman Automotive, NJM Insurance Group, and Square for supporting our mission.
In this series, Michelle Cheang, director of Catalyze, sat down with alumni and current participants of Catalyze-supported career-connected learning programs. Through in-depth conversations, Michelle and the learners discuss their experiences, growth and career goals. In the following videos, we'll hear directly from EJ Garcia, a learner at Hopeworks, about how he has developed his career […]
This episode of The Water Online Show focuses on the water industry's workforce shortage. Hopeworks, a training organization, is addressing this challenge by partnering with utilities like American Water. Hopeworks identifies employer needs, trains young professionals, and places them in well-suited roles. This innovative approach is helping to bridge the skills gap and ensure a […]
Grace Manning leads a program helping land young professionals work at companies like Subaru. Grace Manning is director of employer and alumni relations at Hopeworks, a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia and South New Jersey, offering workforce development programs to young adults. Through training programs, paid internships, and placement services with local employers, Hopeworks helps young, diverse […]
