Now Reading
Good-B.com and MakeImpactNYC Name Winners of First NYC "Battle of the Boros" Social Impact Competition
Good-B.com and MakeImpactNYC Name Winners of First NYC "Battle of the Boros" Social Impact Competition
Published 01-31-14
Submitted by Good Business
New York City had a rumble of the social good kind with the first-ever “Battle of the Boros” Pitch for Impact. The competition took place on January 16, 2014 following the inaugural MakeImpactNYC™ conference at Fordham University graduate school at Lincoln Center. One social entrepreneur from each borough was selected to compete from dozens of New York City applicants based on social innovation, potential impact, and sustainable business models.
The first prize of $4,000 cash donated by The CEDI Society, a new citizen engagement platform founded by Matthew Henninger, was awarded to the “I Am Not a Virgin” jeans company based in the borough of Manhattan. The Not-Virgin jeans company was founded by local entrepreneur Peter Heron. The native Dubliner won the immigration lottery five years ago to stay in the U.S. and has used his good fortune to do what Americans do best: innovative new business ideas. “Not a Virgin” jeans are made from bamboo and recycled plastic bottles. The slick presentation by Heron featured photos of shapely female behinds covered in eco-sexy denim and funny interviews with New Yorkers on how they lost their virginity.
Not a Virgin also garnered in-kind prizes worth an additional $15,000 from The Moderns solutions-based creative studio for social branding and marketing; IP counseling from Day Pitney attorney, David Postolski; an offering listing on the Return On Change equity crowdfunding platform; 6 month hot desk package from the Centre for Social Innovation on Manhattan’s west side; digital media strategy session by ThatMatters.us and Good Business New York; and a featured appearance on ThatMatters Live web show hosted by media-preneurs Shane Snipes & Monika Mitchell.
I am not a Virgin’s victory was featured on Forbes.com by journalist Anne Field who volunteered her time and talents as a “Battle of the Boros” judge. Other distinguished judges included Derek Denckla of Slow Money NY, Matthew Henninger of The CEDI Society, Kim Wales of Wales Capital, Mitchell Fillet of Fordham Foundry, Mandie Holmes of Launch Angels, David Thigpen of Corners2Cornerstones, David Postolski Esq. of Day Pitney LLP.
The surprise of the evening was the second place “People’s Choice” winner Duane Ward of Sensational Sauces from QEDC’s “The Kitchen” incubator in Queens. The dynamic young entrepreneur filled the audience with every friend and relative located in the tri-state area resulting in a robust cheering section and easy win by smart phone audience votes. Duane’s sauces were offered to the judges for sample tastings. He instantly charmed the esteemed panel with his winning personality and sales style.
Sensational Sauces are based on original family recipes from Duane’s Oklahoma grandma and use only natural, locally sourced products. The young chef was awarded all of the in-kind prizes named above as well as a generous donation of $1,500 from Battle of the Boros sponsor The CEDI Society and its founder Matthew Henninger.
The evening’s entertainment was provided by NYC Arts Cypher and featured rap and hip-hop artists Krempo and Cyndikut. Arts Cypher founder, Charlie Balducci was interviewed by MakeImpactNYC host, Monika Mitchell on Cypher’s anti-bullying campaign in Staten Island schools. The entrepreneurial pitch competition was hosted by Return on Change investment banking founder, Sang Lee. The evening’s smartphone App voting session was produced by MakeImpactNYC CTO Shane Snipes.
Battle of the Boros™ Pitch for Impact event was part of the first-of-its-kind MakeImpact NYC™ conference at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus. The competition was a joint project conceived by Monika Mitchell, founder of Good Business New York’s™ (Good-B NY’s online media platform for social impact) and presented with Fordham University’s Center for Humanistic Management under the direction of professor of social entrepreneurship Michael Pirson; community capital expert- Amy Cortese of Locavesting; Shane Snipes founder of digital media network ThatMatters.us; Sang Lee and Grace Kim of the Return on Change equity crowdfunding platform; Stephanie Belhomme, curator of Harlem social good initiatives. Dean Donna Rapaccioli of Gabelli Business School, Ron Davison, Operations Director for Good-B.com. Kenny Rivera of Good-B’s production team, and the event planning organization, “Eventurously” lent additional support for the conference.
Backstory: Monika Mitchell, founder of Good-B.com, originally envisioned the Battle in 2011 as “Good Biz NY™, a local NYC neighborhood video competition using an American Idol web format to boost public support for New York City small businesses. In August 2013, she organized fellow social entrepreneurs at the Centre for Social Innovation in New York to create the dynamic MakeImpactNYC production team and enlisted the support of Michael Pirson PhD. and Fordham University’s business school. The team’s combined talents resulted in the groundbreaking MakeImpactNYC™ conference featuring 33 renowned social impact speakers, 18 community partners from all five boroughs, seven social entrepreneur incubators, top business leaders, Fordham business students and faculty, and hundreds of attendees and local entrepreneurs who are building the social impact economy in New York City.
