Big Winners at the Pitch 2019!
Winning Team: Daniel Salazar, Pack-Its (UW Oshkosh) — $10,000 cash and $15,000 in-kind services
Second Place: Hamza Ehsan, EV Smart (Lawrence University) — $7,500 cash and $7,500 in-kind services
Third Place: Breena Hansen, Clean Comfort Food Delivery (St. Norbert College) — $5,000 cash and $5,000 in-kind services
The Pitch Judges:
Mike Daniels
Nicolet Bank
Michael E. Daniels is the President and CEO of Nicolet Bank. In 2000, he co-founded Nicolet National Bank, a leading community lender built on relationship-focused customer service. He is a graduate of St. Norbert College.
Kabinga Maini
Gulfstream Aerospace
Kabinga Maini is the lead mechanical and structural engineer for Gulfstream Aerospace. He has extensive experience in the aerospace industry. Kabinga has a BS in mechanical engineering, an MBA, and is pursuing an MS in operations management.
Adrienne Palm
Gener8tor
Adrienne Palm works for gener8tor, a gold-ranked startup accelerator founded in Wisconsin. Adrienne is the Managing Director of gBETA, a free accelerator for early stage companies with a tie to a Wisconsin college or university.
David Trotter
Winnebago Seed Fund
David Trotter is the Managing Director of Winnebago Capital Partners, the General Partner of the Winnebago Seed Fund. The Fund is a newly formed venture capital fund based in Neenah, Wisconsin. The Fund’s emphasis is on seed investments in startup companies in the Fox Valley region.
Richelle Martin
The Winnow Fund
Richelle is the Managing Director of The Winnow Fund, and will be responsible for seeking new investment opportunities. Prior to joining The Winnow Fund, she was a leader at UW-Madison’s Office of Industrial Partnerships. The University has an open portfolio of over $4 billion in research grants and contracts with industrial sponsors and annual awards exceeding $1 billion. Richelle’s position provided a window to the areas on campus that interest private sector industry.