6th Annual Pitch Competition Takes Hopeworks Entrepreneurs to New Heights!

We were truly impressed by the brilliance showcased at our 2024 Spring Pitch Competition! Talented and driven Hopeworks entrepreneurs unveiled their businesses to a panel of esteemed industry leaders. They received invaluable feedback and forged new connections, leading to exciting opportunities with potential customers.

The 1st place winner was Lola Ruiz, the founder of Lola’s Nail Cafe - a local nail business where she services clients with beautiful custom nail designs 

 The 2nd place winner was Jeremiah Reyes, the founder of PetalPods and FloraHouse, another young entrepreneur revolutionizing indoor gardening and creating unique party favors 

The remaining three pitchers were each awarded $1,000 in funding for their business thanks to two incredibly generous donors!

Thank you to all of our participants - (Lola RuizAnthony ColeNick CaraballoJeremiah Reyes, and Janiyah Gonzalez) who were confident enough to pitch their businesses, and humbly accept feedback on how to continue striving for success.

Thank you to our judges - (Ahmed Ali BobWil ReynoldsNatalie Nieves, and Michelle Miller) for taking the time to support our young professionals and provide practical and authentic feedback to each one. Our alumni panelists - Charlene NewbillWillem SchrieksNatalie Nieves, and Raymond Alvira for providing real-life business advice to our Pitch Competition participants and audience.

Thank you to our incredible host Brad Aronson for hosting the competition, building the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Hopeworks, and helping to support and grow countless businesses in the Hopeworks community. Lastly, a huge thank you to our sponsors - BlockWasserman Properties, and NJM Insurance Group for the support!

Check out the entrepreneur's businesses below and please support 

Lola - https://lnkd.in/erJvaMak
Anthony - https://lnkd.in/eTMdip6D
Jeremiah - https://lnkd.in/eFj-BGwD
Janiyah - https://lnkd.in/eC2EizRF
Nick - https://lnkd.in/e2PAqaeP

September 15, 2025
💡 What Is RCM… and Why It Matters More Than Ever

🌟 Introduction Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) is the financial backbone of healthcare. For practices facing rising costs and tighter margins, RCM is more critical than ever. Without it ❌: With it ✅: 🧩 Understanding RCM RCM covers the entire patient-to-payment journey:📅 Scheduling🛡️ Insurance verification📤 Claim submission🚫 Denial management💳 Collections 👉 Every step matters for accurate, […]

Read More
September 11, 2025
🚆 The AI Train Is Coming: Shift Your Mindset or Get Left Behind

If a contractor showed up to fix your deck with a manual screwdriver, you’d raise an eyebrow. Today, showing up to work without AI is the same thing. The shift is already here. 🔧 Would You Hire a Contractor Using a Manual Screwdriver? Imagine you hire someone to fix your deck. They show up, take […]

Read More
September 8, 2025
Hopeworks and Dell Technologies Launch AI Innovation Hub to Skill the Future Workforce

Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ – July 31, 2025 – Hopeworks, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering young adults to establish living wage careers, announces the launch of state-of-the-art AI Innovation Hubs at both of their facilities located in Philadelphia and Camden. The initiative, made possible by an in-kind donation of a DellAI Factory with […]

Read More
808 Market St.,
Camden, NJ 08102
(856) 365-4673
Hopeworks is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization, EIN: 31-1660671.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram