Pitch Perfect: Take The Lead’s Entrepreneur Winners Share Success
Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead at the recent 50 Women Can Change The World in Entrepreneurship graduation and pitch competition.
All they had was 90 seconds. The 11 women leaders who pitched their new ventures at the recent 50 Women Can Change The World in Entrepreneurship graduation event to a panel of judges kept it short and sweet.
Lisa Gates, CEO and founder of Concierge 4 B2B, won first place in the pitch competition.
“Lisa Gates, CEO and founder of Concierge 4 B2B, won first place in the @Takeleadwomen #50WomenCan pitch competition. #womenleaders”
“The pitch experience was a fantastic experience,” says Gates, who won the $2,500 prize for her company, Concierge 4 B2B, that she describes as a human resources, payroll strategy, executive support and recruiting business.
Also as president and co-founder of Golden Roller Skates, a nonprofit she founded in 2022 dedicated to senior adult mental health, Gates says her Concierge 4 B2B organization is a business concierge services firm that “has helped over 50 clients in targeted industries like finance and accounting, tech, health and wellness, manufacturing and aviation.”
Gates adds, “The focus was on the story of our business, the traction we've had in the marketplace so far, and what we intend on doing with funds if we win.”
Her winning pitch impressed Vidhi Data, founder of Lead with Impact, and a Take The Lead Leadership Ambassador spearheading the launch of Take The Lead’s Premium Coaching.
“Gates’ winning pitch impressed the judges including @Vidhidata, founder of Lead with Impact, and the @Takeleadwomen Leadership Ambassador spearheading the launch of Take The Lead’s Premium Coaching.”
Read more in Take The Lead about Vidhi Data here.
Shalini Sardana, co-founder and co-CEO of She Raises Capital with Data, and a Take The Lead Leadership Ambassador, was also impressed by the pitch competition.
Read more in Take The Lead about Shalini Sardana.
“I appreciate Gloria Feldt, Shalini Sardana, Vidhi Data and Maggie Sanchez,” Gates says. “They all helped me in this program by encouraging me, sharing tips and suggestions and believing that I could do great things.”
Judges included Maggie Sanchez, Senior Global Executive and Corporate Board Director, Jevin Hodge, Executive, Innovator, Motivational Speaker, Strategic Communicator, Stakeholder Engager, Entrepreneur, Venture/Founder Advisor, & Nonprofit Leader, and Tanaha Hairston,
Impact Investment Strategist & Educator, and Founder of RISE The Movement. Tracy Lea, of Arizona State University’s entrepreneurship program, joined in as a judge, contributing an additional $1,000 in prize money so there could be two winners.
The Women’s Collective contributed the prize money and Congressman Greg Stantson (AZ-4) secured the funds fpr the 50 Women in Entrepreneurship program.
Feldt told the cohort of more than 50 attending the pitch competition and graduation in person and more online, “We all help each other and support each other.” Feldt adds, “There will be more hybrid programs. Anything we can do to help women entrepreneurs succeed is what we are all about.”
“@GloriaFeldt told the cohort of more than 50 attending the pitch competition and graduation in person and more online, “We all help each other and support each other.” #femaleentrepreneur”
The competition supporting entrepreneurs is a manifestation of Take The Lead’s mission to reach gender parity in leadership across all sectors by 2025 with the idea that everyone has the power TO accomplish their goals.
“We had 11 amazing pitches,” Feldt says. Also recognizing the input of Felicia Davis, leadership ambassador, Feldt adds, “The judges had a very difficult decision, so there were two winners.”
“We’re a people solution operation,” Gates says. “So we hire rockstar talent. We provide executive assistance and we customize HR solutions. We do this through innovation, and organizational development.”
Elaborating on her winning pitch, Gates says she walked to the stage with the song “Eye of The Tiger” by Survivor playing. She told the group, “For 30 years I worked in corporate as an Executive Assistant to the CEOs, but on the side, I started two businesses, sold one of those businesses and started a nonprofit.”
“The competition supporting #entrepreneurs is a manifestation of @Takeleadwomen ‘s mission to reach #genderparity in #leadership across all sectors by 2025. #powerTO”
With the winning investment, Gates says, “My business partner and I plan to invest in target marketing, improve our search engine optimization (SEO), and improve our customer relationship management (CRM) tool to better serve our clients.” She adds, “We intend to have a global impact with recruiting and people operation solutions within two to three years so other organizations can feel confident in hiring the right people, onboarding, training and motivating them successfully to better support our clients' mission and objectives.”
As for supporting other entrepreneurs with startup ideas, Gates says, “We plan on sharing our story more often so we can inspire other women (and men) to start and build a successful business. But first, we plan on expanding into more cities within Arizona to fully support our home state. Next, we have plans to expand across the US and partner with other organizations.”
“As for supporting other #entrepreneurs with startup ideas, Gates says, “We plan on sharing our story more often so we can inspire other women (and men) to start and build a successful business.” ”
Also winning in the pitch competition with a prize of $1,250 was Hyacinth Tucker, owner of Laundry Basket Delivery, an on-demand, subscription- based mobile laundry and dry cleaning delivery solution.
Tucker writes, “Inspired by a mentor championing diversity and inclusion, I'm motivated to push for positive change in my spheres of influence. Through these experiences, I'm dedicated to advocating for equity in my professional life, fueled by the potential for positive change in fostering a more equitable workplace and community.”
Read more in Take The Lead on Hyacinth Tucker
Reflecting in the 50 Women in Entrepreneurship cohort and her winning of the pitch competition, Gates says, “Take the Lead is an incredible and holistic opportunity to look into ourselves and find the power we need to show up as our best selves in our personal and professional lives.”
““@Takeleadwomen is an incredible and holistic opportunity to look into ourselves and find the power we need to show up as our best selves.” — Lisa Gates, CEO and founder of Concierge 4 B2B.”
Gates adds, “Gloria introduced the power continuum and we wrote our ‘power to’ stories, and then presented them in front of the group. I had never shared my personal power to story publicly like that before, so it was a break-through for me.”
Leadership Takeaway of The Week:
“We plan on sharing our story more often so we can inspire other women (and men) to start and build a successful business.”
Lisa Gates, founder of Concierge 4 B2B and winner of the 50 Women Can Change The World in Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition
