NEW ORLEANS – On Nov. 9, business accelerator Camelback Ventures hosted its 2021 “Ruthless Pitches” showcase featuring 11 entrepreneurs and their ventures. Making the culmination of Camelback’s 15-week virtual fellowship, the event was an opportunity for the 2021 fellows to showcase their ventures in front of key stakeholders and receive feedback.
“This is the first time we’ve had to offer a fully virtual Camelback fellowship to entrepreneurs due to the pandemic, and they have risen to the occasion, not only as fellows but as the talented and dedicated founders that they are, which was reflected in their Ruthless Pitches,” said Aaron Walker, Camelback Ventures Founder/CEO, in a press release. “My hope is that the capital, coaching, and connections they’ve received through our Fellowship will better prepare these founders to navigate the economic disparities women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) entrepreneurs face in the United States — especially when it comes to securing capital to accelerate their innovative ventures.”
Camelback Ventures’ fellowship provides BIPOC and women entrepreneurs with free coaching, capital and access to professional connections through virtual workshops. All of these conscious tech- and education-focused organizations seek to address civic engagement, student career readiness, immigration reform, criminal justice system reform, and more inclusive access to emergency response systems and other issues.
CTIA Wireless Foundation sponsored Camelback’s ‘Ruthless Pitches’ virtual event for the second year in a row.
“We are thrilled to support Camelback Ventures and the important work they do to support the identification and promotion of early-stage underrepresented entrepreneurs. Our team enjoyed seeing their innovative solutions during this year’s Ruthless Pitches event,” said Dori Kreiger, the foundation’s executive director.
To date, Camelback Ventures has supported 94 fellows. To learn more, click here.
This year, 11 entrepreneurs showcased their ventures:
Conscious Tech Fellows
Beverly Leon, founder of Local Civics (New York, New York)
D’Seanté Parks, founder of 1000 MORE (New York, New York)
Devshi Mehrotra, founder of JusticeText (Irvine, California)
Gabriella Wong, founder of AccesSOS (San Francisco, California)
Jaime-Jin Lewis, founder of Wiggle Room (New York, New York)
Education Fellows
Jakita Thomas, founder of Pharaoh’s Conclave (Atlanta, Georgia)
Jonathan Santos Silva, founder of The Liber Institute (Rapid City, South Dakota)
Joyelle Naomi, founder of Denver Independent School (Denver, Colorado)
Lisa María Rhodes, founder of ALAS (New Orleans & Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Marshall Pollard, founder of The Creative School (Washington, DC)
Shawon Jackson, founder of Vocal Justice (Stanford, California)
