14 New York-Based Startups And Nonprofits Secure $1.1MM In Funding & Head To Global Finals In January 2018
Press Release – (NEW YORK) Last night, WeWork announced 14 New York City area entrepreneurs as winners at The New York City Creator Awards, a new global initiative awarding more than $20MM to entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits, and artists who are thinking in new ways, building fresh projects, and achieving real change. Photos available here.
At Skylight Clarkson Square startups, small businesses, and nonprofit finalists pitched before a live audience and competed with finalists from across the east and west coasts of the United States. 21 total winners in three categories were awarded $1.86MM in funding for projects ranging from a food startup that employees refugee chefs to a fashion line that celebrates women in STEM fields.
The top $360K prize in the “Scale” category went to Karim Abouelnaga of New York City for his peer-to-peer summer education program Practice Makes Perfect.
“I was the first person in my family to go to college,” Abouelnaga said in his 45-second pitch. “And I left a career in investment banking to make sure I wasn’t the last.”
During the summer slump, kids who aren’t given access to programs can fall three months behind, “compounding interest on the achievement gap,” he said.
“With this money, I’ll experiment with cutting our price point to schools this year to saturate the market more this year and reach more kids. This year we’ll train close to 200 people, and we’re always looking for space. To be able to do that in an environment like WeWork would allow us to expose college kids to what work could look like in the future.”
The awards ceremony was open to the public and hosted by the sister of WeWork Co-Founder & CEO, Adam Neumann, Israeli supermodel Adi Neumann. The evening event also featured masterclasses with legendary Harlem couturier, Dapper Dan, founder & CEO of AKT, Anna Kaiser, and more. Earlier in the evening, the event began with a job & skills fair with top nonprofits and tech startups like the ACLU and Morning Consult, a pop-up Creator Market featuring local makers, a performance by Beatbox Collective, free food and cocktails, and an after party with a surprise performance from T-Pain.
Before coming to New York City, the Creator Awards were held in Washington, D.C., Detroit, Austin, London, Berlin, and Tel Aviv. Winners from the scale and launch categories will compete for additional prizes — with a grand prize of $1MM — at the Creator Awards Global Finals in New York City in January 2018. Interview opportunities with Creator Awards winners are available upon request.
LIST OF NEW YORK CITY WINNERS:
SCALE: Businesses/nonprofits with proven success, ready for next level
- KARIM ABOUELNAGA, Practice Makes Perfect – A peer-to-peer summer learning program that utilizes high achieving teens to teach and mentor fellow students in underserved communities – $360K
- KAREN YOUNG, Oui Shave – Brooklyn-based Oui Shave is the first women’s shaving system designed to be irritation-free – $180K
- MANAL KAHI, Eat Offbeat – Fills the gap in authentic and off-the-beaten-path ethnic food, all the while alleviating unemployment among refugees resettled in the US – $180K
LAUNCH: Businesses/nonprofits launched and still learning
- GEORGES CLEMENT, JustFix.NYC – Brooklyn Based organization helps New Yorkers repair their homes – $180K
- SAEED JABAR, Inclusion – The Queens-based company prepares underserved young adults of color for careers in technology – $72K
- GONI LIGHT & YONATAN SELA, SoCo – Seeds of Collaboration – Brooklyn-based SoCo brings all natural tahini to health conscious customers – $72K
INCUBATE: Ideas/projects that need funding
- ALLISON HAUSER, Girls on the Run NYC – A Brooklyn-based physical activity-based positive youth development program that is designed to enhance girls’ social, psychological and physical skills and behaviors to successfully navigate life experiences – $18K
- AMANDA PHINGBODHIPAKKIYA, ATOMIC by Design – A Brooklyn-based fashion line and community for curious girls and women who aren’t afraid to wear their smarts on their sleeve – $18K
- TRACEY COLEMAN, Purpose Driven Passports – The Brooklyn-based company creates opportunities for travelers to donate their time, money and resources to underserved schools, orphanages and programs abroad- $18K
- ALEX ETLING, Cave Theater Co. – An indie theatre company dedicated to telling powerful stories with vigor, innovation, and artistic integrity in New York City- $18K
- ERICA BUDDINGTON, Langston League – The Brooklyn based company seeks to create a curriculum for agencies and organizations to connect to their diverse students and their learning styles – $18K
- GABRIELLE ROSSI, Discover Outdoors Foundation – Provides life-changing, educational, and fun outdoor experiences to kids in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods – $18K
- JOHN OQUIST, Dialogue Theory – A growth agency bridging the art and science of interaction – $18K
- LAUREN BIENVENUE, Once Upon a Laurén – Once Upon a Laurén gives new life to old leather by transforming the discarded and forgotten into wearable, usable art by hand-painting vintage leather jackets and clutches
