Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit – Omaha, NE
January 22, 2024 | News & Press Releases
Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit – Omaha, NE
Announcing the Top 15 Pitch Competitors
The Hy-Vee Inclusive Business Summit will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha, NE. The summit is a free, daylong professional development expo and a pitch competition. After receiving over 100 pitch applications, 15 minority- and women-owned businesses have been selected to participate in one of three pitch competition categories to showcase their products or services. A panel of judges will select one winner of the $30,000 grand prize, and one business from each category will win $5,000. Additional cash investments may be awarded. To register for the expo visit: https://www.hy-veeopportunitysummit.com/
The following businesses have been selected to present during the pitch competition:
Tech and Innovation
Business: Anchovy
Owner: Diane Temme Stinton
Location: Lincoln, NE
The Anchovy app is a mobile software application that makes answering the question, “What’s for dinner?” easy. It delivers recipe importing, storage, and sharing and automated meal planning in one seamless platform. Anchovy leverages AI to deliver a recipe storage and meal planning solution that becomes tailored to the specific needs of your family the more you use the app.
Business: AskSAMIE
Owner: Brandy Archie
Location: Kansas City, MO
AskSAMIE is an innovative digital platform that revolutionizes aging in place by offering a curated marketplace, blending occupational therapy expertise with advanced technology. This platform is designed to make aging at home safer and more manageable for individuals, their families, and clinicians.
Business: Planting People Growing Justice, LLC
Owner: Dr. Artika R. Tyner
Location: St. Paul, MN
Planting People Growing Justice (PPGJ) publishes, promotes, and distributes books that encourage and empower Black children to find joy in reading. Children are more likely to read books when they can identify with the characters. Our passion for fostering social change through product innovation drives our commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable society.
Business: RC Party Accents, LLC
Owner: Carmen Y Castillo
Location: Lincoln, NE
RC Party Accents is all about celebrations. We believe in the magic of gathering and sharing our successes and milestones with our loved ones. RC Party Accents' mission is to help our clients create the perfect stage at their celebrations to capture those forever memories in a special way.
Business: REPSI
Owner: Jessica Queen
Location: Omaha, NE
RESPI is developing a medical device to save lives during military operations, mass casualty events, and overcrowded Emergency rooms. Our StatPatch® is uniquely designed for monitoring large groups of people simultaneously.
Health, Wellness, Beauty
Business: Angel Buck Corporation
Owner: April Robbins
Location: Bunker Hill, IL
Our goal in business is to get people back outdoors and be able to enjoy not bug free but also chemical free. Skitopel® is 100% all-natural insect repellent spray and candles. It is unique because it contains herbs. No other product on the market contains the actual herbs. We grow and harvest the many varieties of herbs that go into each product.
Business: Evodia Fragrances
Owner: Christopher German
Location: Omaha, NE
Our fragrances are designed for both men and women, providing a unisex experience that will make you feel like a celebrity. With the ability to create your own scents, Evodia allows you to make memories and stand out at any event, including birthdays, weddings, and parties. Elevate your fragrance game with Evodia Fragrances and indulge in the ultimate sensory experience.
Business: Jadomte' Mobile Nail Bar
Owner: Sabrina Mahupete
Location: Omaha, NE
Jadomte' Mobile Nail Bar is an amazing concept in the beauty and wellness industry, bringing the luxury of professional nail care services directly to the customer's doorstep. Our mobile nail salon is designed to provide convenience, quality, and a touch of glamour for individuals who value their time.
Business: Mama's Garden Apothecary
Owner: Carmen Brock
Location: Newhall, IA
In its most simple form, Mama’s Garden Apothecary is comfort. Whether it is the small batch handmade skin care, aromatherapy, loose leaf teas, soups, spices or herbal remedies, Mama’s Garden specializes in bringing peace and comfort to peoples’ everyday lives.
Business: Superfood Body Shop
Owner: Iyan Cunningham
Location: Omaha, NE
Superfood Body Shop pioneers a holistic approach to health and beauty, offering a unique all-in-one Super Salve. Tailored for both men and women, our product, derived solely from wholefood fruits and veggies, stands out by excluding water, glycerin, alcohol, and harsh chemicals.
Food and Beverage
Business: A+ Berry
Owner: Dr. Xiaoquing Xie
Location: Lincoln, NE
A+ Berry is a Big 10 food tech company based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that is creating innovative & delicious antioxidant drinks for health. Their first product is AroJuice, a cold-pasteurized and delicious juice made from a super fruit, the Aronia berry, which is grown in the Midwest and provides the highest antioxidant protection.
Business: Cup of Coa
Owner: Jasmin McGinnis
Location: Kearney, NE
Cup of Coa is a luxury gourmet cocoa blend that can be prepared traditionally, frozen or cooked down into a sauce and baked with. We source only the finest ingredients from around the globe to craft our delicious hot chocolate, which no one can believe is simply mixed with water.
Business: Harken Sweets
Owner: Katie Lefkowitz
Location: Chicagoland, IL
Harken is in the food space - specifically in confectionary. Harken seeks to upend the current candy bars in this country to make them better-for-you...TRULY better-for-you. By reimagining America's favorite candy bars, using the power of FRUIT and processing innovation, to make them fiber-packed AND low-cal, but just-as-tasty as the classics we grew up with.
Business: Humbl Roots
Owner: Jacquelyn Burklund
Location: Omaha, NE
Humbl Roots is a food manufacturing company whose mission is to bring people to the table and have them leave feeling good. Without compromising quality and taste, we reinvent familiar foods in order to accommodate dietary restrictions.
Business: Sunday Night Foods
Owner: Eileen Gannon
Location: Des Moines, IA
Sunday Night® Foods crafts luxurious, shelf-stable, premium chocolate sauces in small batches with only the finest pure ingredients. Consumers want better-quality, gourmet convenience food, and Sunday Night sauces satisfy that need with a new, disruptive product in an old category.