Shaun Corbett, Executive Director of Cops & Barbers Inc., applied to be part of the 2019 class of SEED20 to embrace “the opportunity to be heard and to give the community that is normally voiceless a voice.” The organization was created in 2015 through a partnership between entrepreneur Shaun Corbett and then police detective Garry…
2019 SEED20 3rd Place and Community Vote winner, Para Guide, made some amazing progress this year! Para Guide Foundation enables para-visually impaired individuals to experience a more enriched life through guided physical activities. Shannon Houlihan, Para Guide’s founder and Executive Director, embraced the SEED20 process. “I hope to absorb as much information as possible as…
2019 SEED20 Wells Fargo Grand Prize winner, Foster Village Charlotte, has had an amazing journey this year! Last year, Executive Director Becky Santoro hoped to “build awareness in our city around foster care and learn from the incredible group of nonprofits, leaders and coaches in SEED20.” Additional funds from her SEED20 experience allowed Foster Village Charlotte…
The 8th Annual SEED20 was a huge success with a prize pool of $46,000. Matt Olin once again returned as Master of Ceremony bringing his creativity to the SEED20 stage. Our panel of judges — Glenn Burkins, Davita Galloway, and Chris Elmore offered insightful feedback on the three-minute pitches. All ten finalists shone and told their…
You’ve met the SEED20 Class of 2019 — now we want to introduce you to the dynamic group of judges and entertainers who will be on the SEED20 stage on March 25th! Matt Olin, Master of Ceremony: Matt Olin is co-founder of Charlotte Is Creative, a non-profit that develops and runs initiatives such as Queen City Quiz Show (winner of…
Judge: Davita Galloway Davita Galloway is an owner of DUPP&SWAT, a change agent, a creative, a host, speaker, influencer, costumer, a doer, disruptor and a creator of all things dope. More, as a proponent and champion of building community, social equity, entrepreneurship and economic opportunity, Davita enjoys collaboration with impact on those outputs. What advice…
Judge: Chris Elmore Named a “Startup Hero” by NC Business Magazine and a maverick by SouthPark Magazine, Chris an author, college professor and strategic advisor to Kingsmen Software Products and 2ULaundry. Chris helped start AvidXchange in 2000, a business unicorn with a $1.4 billion value and 1400 employees. www.thechriselmore.com What advice would you give to entrepreneurs? I give the…
Judge: Glenn Burkins Glenn Burkins is publisher of Qcitymetro.com, founded in 2008 and now Charlotte’s largest black media organization. Previously, he was business editor and later deputy managing editor at The Charlotte Observer. While reporting for Philadelphia Inquirer and Wall Street Journal, Glenn covered the White House, the end of Apartheid in South Africa, genocide…
Two months of coaching. Countless hours of practicing. Three minutes to tell their story. At selection night, all twenty participants in the SEED20 Class of 2019 brought their best effort. It’s always a challenge to select only ten to present on stage and this year was no exception. All twenty organizations deserve the community’s support…
Representative: Sam Guzzie Brand the Moth supports community arts and mural education in the Charlotte area by creating volunteer-based mural projects that make the arts more accessible and relevant to the surrounding residents. Brand the Moth also supports first-time muralists by giving them that knowledge and tools they need to succeed. What is the focus…
Representative: Ann Barnes Robertson Family Impact Fund interrupts the cycle of poverty, empowering two generations at a time. By providing tuition assistance to young children from low-income families for high-quality early education, Family Impact Fund allows their parents to maximize their employment or continue their education. The impact: young children learn, working parents succeed and…
Representative: Frances Hall Beatties Ford Road Vocational Trade Center provides construction craft training and professional mental health and substance abuse counseling to young men ages 16 and up who are unemployed, underemployed or re-entering the community from incarceration. What is the focus of your organization? Our services focus on men ages 16-45 who are unemployed,…