Caring Expertise, a non-medical home care company founded in Omaha in January, won the $10,000 grand prize at the 4th annual Pitch Black Conference & Tech Showcase hosted by the Midland African Chamber (MAC) and presented by Google. The event brought together entrepreneurs from Nebraska and Iowa under the theme “Digital Disruption: Unlocking Opportunity for BIPOC Entrepreneurs.”
This year’s Pitch Black event marks the first time that MAC has hosted a conference in conjunction with a pitch competition. The event took place on Saturday, June 29th at Creighton University’s Harper Center and featured breakout sessions and keynote speeches. Keynote speakers included Robert Blackwell, Jr., founder of Quant16, and Aasiyah Abdulsalam, founder and CEO of The Renatural.
Presentations covered topics such as advice for navigating the startup journey and using artificial intelligence in business.
More than 40 companies applied to participate in the 2024 Pitch Black competition. Each company went through three qualifying rounds before being narrowed down to five finalists. Karin Sokpo, founder and CEO of MAC, said the pitch competition aligns with MAC’s ongoing mission to connect with innovative BIPOC-led businesses in Nebraska and Iowa.
The 2024 Pitch Black finalists are:
Each company had five minutes to present their business plan and future goals, followed by five minutes to answer questions from a panel of regional judges.
Among the standout presentations was Love Yo Pup, a dog treat company that makes its treats from natural, organic ingredients sourced from local farmers, subsistence growers, and growers. During the presentation, Austin took a bite of a homemade moose-flavored dog treat to show off their high-quality ingredients.
“If I don’t eat it, they won’t eat it.”
Wong introduced Tippl, an app that gives users a free drink every day as an incentive to bring customers to Omaha restaurants. The app has proven to be a fan favorite, receiving the most votes from spectators and being awarded $5,000.
SunFlare Brands and Love Yo Pup placed fifth and fourth respectively, each receiving a $1,000 prize. Chalice Health came in third place, winning $2,500. Tippl came in second place, winning $5,000.
The top prize of $10,000 and in-kind support, including essential business services such as marketing, legal counsel and accounting expertise, went to Kellogg and Nared of Caring Expertise, which provides non-medical home care to prevent people from entering long-term care facilities.
After the celebrations, hugs and tears, Kellogg admitted she went into the competition feeling like an underdog. “The money will help with marketing funds, get our name out there and make sure we’re home,” she added.
Caring Experts was founded in January and currently has 10 clients and 18 pending clients, the founders said.
In his presentation, the founders of Caring Expertise highlighted the importance of care in the community, which provides a wide range of personalized services such as companionship, transportation, medication management, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, laundry, assistance, meal preparation and personal care to enhance the quality of life for its clients.
“Caring for others has always been my passion and my goal,” Nared said.
