The Viscardi Center

at The Viscardi Center

Providing a lifespan of programs and services that educate, employ and empower children and adults with disabilities.
An employer membership organization and comprehensive resource for disability employment best practices.

DONATE

Header Links

  • Login
  • Media Room
  • Contact Us

Share

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • You Tube
  • Instagram
  • Home
  • Our Services
    • Abilities, Inc.
    • E-Learning
    • Henry Viscardi School
    • The Disability Entrepreneurship Institute
    • Nathaniel H. Kornreich Technology Center
    • Services by Type
    • Services by Age/Audience
    • Services for Businesses
    • How to Obtain Services
  • Our Stories
    • Adults
    • Businesses
    • Children
    • Donors
  • Get Involved
    • Ways to Give
    • Together We Soar Campaign
    • Advocacy
    • Volunteer
    • Share Your Story
    • Viscardi Alumni
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Blog
    • Events
    • Media Room
    • Viscardi Voice Newsletter
  • Digital Accessibility
    • Document Accessibility
    • Web Accessibility
    • Captioning & CART Services
    • Audio Description
    • Viscardi Multimedia Learning Center
  • About
    • History
    • Staff Leadership and Boards of Directors
    • Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards
    • Sunny
    • FAQs
    • Careers
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
www.viscardicenter.org > News & Events > News > NCDE Hosts PitchFest Competition

NCDE Hosts PitchFest Competition

November 30, 2020 by Mike Caprara

  • A A A

Founders with disabilities compete for funding opportunities in first virtual event from Viscardi’s National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship.

November 30, 2020

National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship at The Viscardi Center Founders with Disabilities PitchFest Competition

The Viscardi Center, an internationally renowned non-profit providing a lifespan of programs and services that educate, employ, and empower children and adults with disabilities, hosted its first-ever National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship (NCDE) Virtual PitchFest Competition on Thursday, November 19. The exciting event pitted 10 founders from around the country in a battle to win more than $50,000 in equity-free cash grants and special prizes from a panel of exacting judges.

The NCDE PitchFest also featured remarks from Henry Schein, Inc.’s Chairman & CEO Stanley M. Bergman, and a keynote address from Arlan Hamilton, Founder of venture capital firm Backstage Capital. Hamilton, who built Backstage Capital from the ground up in 2015 while homeless, discussed the importance of supporting entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities.

The NCDE PitchFest Competition is a product of the program’s mission to empower innovative self-starters to achieve self-employment success. NCDE equalizes access to the entrepreneurial landscape for founders with disabilities through its skills building curriculum, subject matter experts, mentorship opportunities, Accelerator Fund, and PitchFest Competition; the latter of which elevates awareness of their businesses in front of a panel of elite judges and a live, virtual, interactive audience.

“The National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship provides guidance for and expertise to the disability community to enable individuals to join the ranks of those who have successfully launched a business. Our first-ever PitchFest Competition accelerates this process within the world of entrepreneurism,” The Viscardi Center’s President & CEO John D. Kemp said. “We also hope elevating equal opportunity for founders with disabilities will demonstrate that self-employment is a pathway to combat the staggeringly and unacceptably low labor participation rates in this country that have many of us living at, or below, the poverty level. Self-employment offers an opportunity for us to utilize our talents and create a path to financial independence.”

Each founder had five minutes to pitch their unique business idea to the judges : Michael Chiang, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Stony Brook University, SBDC; Carmen Daniel Jones, President & CEO, Solutions Marketing Group; Amy Marks Dornbusch, General Partner, Willowtree Ventures; and Kathy F. Rocha, Assistant Director, Peter J. Werth Institution of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, UCONN.

Virginia-based Susan Picerno, founder of Little Tiger Productions, a startup fictional content company for and by people with disabilities, was voted the Audience Favorite Ideation Stage Founder, winning the top prize—a $10,000 marketing and branding package from UNI Communications. The top three equity-free cash grant prizes, selected by the judges, were awarded to Alex Smith-Michaels, founder of Milestone Day School; Julie Eugene, founder of Lifestyle Builders; and Dani Bowman, founder of DaniMation.

The PitchFest Accelerator Fund is supported by the Minowitz Family Foundation, First National Bank of Long Island, Jay Goldberg, and John V. Pelliterri. Pro bono mentoring packages were generously donated by UseableNet, Prime Digital, LandUseUSA, Words I Wheel By, and Broadridge Financial Solutions.

Meet NCDE’s PitchFest Founders

Dani Bowman, DaniMation, California
DaniMation Entertainment is the first animation production and talent development company founded by a person with autism. The Company produces award-winning animation, world-class training programs, employment opportunities, and educates the public about the remarkable talent, creativity, and capabilities of people with autism.

Melisa Boodie, Lemonade Diary, New York
Lemonade Diary, LLC is the first online mental health resource aggregator with advanced search options to empower people impacted by mental health issues with the free, non-biased, validated information they need to make decisions about their treatment.

William Medina, Bridging the Gap Training & Staffing, New York
Bridging the Gap Training & Staffing provides businesses who want to employ college graduates with disabilities a pipeline to trained candidates, on-site assistance, and ongoing support for a successful and mutually beneficial placement.

Susan Picerno, Little Tiger Productions, Virginia
Little Tiger Productions produces and publishes riveting fictional content starring people with disabilities and by people with disabilities, for all to enjoy.

Christiana Chineme, Bright New Horizon, New York
Bright New Horizon is a 501(c)(3) that changes minds and save lives by disrupting the acceptance of domestic violence in the U.S.-based Nigerian community.

Mary DuCharme, Natural Transitions, Montana
Natural Transitions Consulting, LLC (NTA) provides expert training to service providers on all aspects of assistive technology so the provider is empowered to fully serve their clients with disabilities. Natural Transitions provides an extensive course selection that is affordable, flexible, and taught with purpose and passion.

Gabrielle Jassie, Your Path Ahead Coaching, New York
Your Path Ahead Coaching provides a Warm Approach to Transformational Change, for women ages 20-44 with and without disabilities. Your Path Ahead provides a step by step plan to stress, more effectively deal with wellness, stress, sleep deprivation, a life transition, life challenges and/or to achieve further independence.

Julie Eugene, Lifestyle Builders, Florida
Lifestyle Builders, LLC saves time and money for renters, first-time home buyers, and real estate agents with budget friendly interior design, staging, décor, light home repair and de-cluttering services. Lifestyle Builders gives you More Life with Less Space.

Ruben Ceballos, Haven Housing Consultants, California
Accessible Housing Consultants, LLC analyzes and improves accessible and affordable housing options, developments, and programs for people with disabilities. It also assists government agencies, real estate lawyers, real estate law firms, and housing related non-profits to better understand the housing needs of the disability community.

Alex Smith-Michaels, Milestones Day School, Massachusetts
Advancing Milestones, Inc., the first national education franchise founded and led by a person with autism, transforms the lives of people with autism and mental health challenges through its state-of the art, evidence-based therapeutic Day Schools, Consulting Services, and multi-modality teaching programs.

About The National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship

The National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship (NCDE) at The Viscardi Center empowers innovative self-starters to achieve self-employment success. Developed and led by a highly experienced team of subject matter experts and mentors, NCDE offers aspiring founders with disabilities from across the U.S. a free, virtual, fully accessible program, professional benefits assistance, opportunities to pitch their business, as well as receive equity-free cash grants from the NCDE Accelerator Fund. NCDE also actively seeks out partners to help build the first accessible entrepreneurial ecosystem and elevate entrepreneurship as a strategic pathway to financial independence for the disability community. To learn more, please visit: viscardicenter.org/ncde

About The Viscardi Center

Founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., who served as disability advisor to eight U.S. Presidents and became one of the world’s leading advocates, The Viscardi Center educates, employs and empowers people with disabilities. It provides Pre-K-12 education, school-to-work youth transition services, vocational training, career counseling and employment placement, and assistive technology to children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of disabilities. The Viscardi Center also assists businesses in advancing disability inclusive cultures in their workplaces. To learn more, please visit: viscardicenter.org

Filed Under: News

News & Events

  • News

    >

  • Blog

    >

  • Events

    >

  • Media Room

    >

  • Viscardi Voice Newsletter

    >

Explore News

Events

The Mill River Country Club

Save The Date – Annual Golf Outing

[php snippet=2]

View All Events

Recent News

View All >
  • Viscardi Hosts 10th Annual Golf Outing

    June 30, 2022 The Viscardi Center is holding its 10th annual Golf Outing on September 19, 2022 at the prestigious Mill River Club in Oyster Bay. The funds raised will maintain and enhance job training, employment placement, and school-to-work youth transition services. Read More...
  • Nominations Open for 2022 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards

    June 2, 2022 Held annually, The Viscardi Center’s award series honors leaders in the global disability community. Read More...
  • John McEnroe Headlines Celebrity Sports Night

    May 25, 2022 The Viscardi Center’s annual fundraising event drew big names and crowds in support of children and adults with disabilities. Read More...
  • 2022 Games for the Physically Challenged Announced

    April 26, 2022 County Executive Blake and Viscardi student athletes announce return of annual Games at Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in June. Read More...
  • Celebrity Sports Night Returns to In-Person Event

    March 28, 2022 At this signature fundraiser, presented by Delta Air Lines, all-star athletes support vital programs for children and adults with disabilities. Read More...
  • Viscardi Awards Honor Leaders with Disabilities

    January 27, 2022 The 2021 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards recognize innovators, role models, and advocates in the global disability community. Read More...

Contact Us

The Viscardi Center
National Business & Disability Council at The Viscardi Center
201 I.U. Willets Road
Albertson, NY 11507
516.465.1400
info@viscardicenter.org
Careers at the Viscardi Center | Staff Log in
Accessibility | Privacy | Site Map

Sign up For Enews

The Viscardi Center is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit recognized by the IRS.

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • You Tube
  • Instagram

© 2022 The Viscardi Center. All rights reserved. | Designed & Developed by Infinite Media Corp.