Meet the three up-and-coming female founders to keep an eye on for 2023 and beyond. The Collegiate Accelerator Pitch Competition winners are sure to inspire emerging women-owned businesses, paving the pathway for a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem for future generations.
Meet Destiny J. Wesley, Founder of MeasureMe and 1st place awardee of the 2023 Collegiate Accelerator Pitch Competition.
MeasureMe provides a tailored experience to online shoppers who want their accurate measurements and sizes across global brands, reduce clothes waste, and fashion labor.
Congratulations on winning the pitch competition! Can you tell us a little about your experience leading up to the event? What was your preparation process like?
“My preparation process was very intentional—In our WBENC sessions with trained women entrepreneurs of color, I discovered how to plan for meeting new people, navigating an environment of 4,000+, and how to take care of myself during the event.”
At the beginning of each month, I write down specific goals for that month’s focus. I wrote on a sticky note what my goals were for March. And winning this competition 1st place was one of them. In preparing, I gathered a group of trusted voices from my circle to listen and critique. I also would go for jogs while saying my pitch, record and listen to it while driving.
What do you think set your pitch apart from the other competitors?
How I deliberated on a global issue with a simplified solution. Before the pitch, when I arrived on Sunday, I went into the room where the pitch was held. And I pitched in front of the unknown audience because, one thing I did know was that, I could, can, and will do this with power, love, and a sound mind.
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or developments that we can expect to see from you in the future, and how the winnings from the pitch competition will help you accomplish these goals?
You can expect to see a ready application for use of the measuring and converting services in the next 10 months, as I plan to use the winnings to launch my beta.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs or individuals looking to apply to Collegiate Accelerator?
Entrepreneur, you are a daughter/human being before any title. You are worth having this opportunity. The resources that WBENC can provide you can propel you in the right direction of building your vision into reality. Lay these tools and resources on a firm foundation.
Meet Kate Gatfield-Jeffries, Founder of Moodi and second place awardee of the Collegiate Accelerator Pitch Competition.
Kate recently graduated with Law and Business degrees from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is the founder of Moodi, a mental wellness supplement company. Moodi’s products combine clinically proven active ingredients into smoothie and latte blends to improve anxiety, stress, sleep, focus, and help build enjoyable self-care habits.
Meet Tayyaba Ali, Co-Founder & CEO of Tikal Industries and third place awardee of the Collegiate Accelerator Pitch Competition.
Tayyaba Ali is a physics and computer science senior at Loyola University Chicago and the CEO/co-founder of Tikal Industries, an environmental health and safety company dedicated to addressing the impacts of climate change on community health. The company’s current focus is manufacturing water contamination detection and remediation hardware solutions.
Congratulations to all 2023 Collegiate Accelerator winners and a special thank you to our Title Sponsors, Walmart and Fedex, for supporting and empowering young female entrepreneurs! WBENC looks forward to witnessing the future accomplishments of the 2023 Collegiate Accelerator cohort! Visit the Collegiate Accelerator for more information on this program.
