gBETA ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s Pitch Night: Showcasing Innovation and Community Connections
By Morrow Duszynski
Dec. 3, 2024
Serena Allen, AIC '23 winner (center) stands with Tammy Tragis-McCook and Morrow Duszynski.
On Nov. 21, I attended Pitch Night at the UAF Pub, and it was nothing short of inspiring. As someone who works at the UAF College of Business and Security Management (CBSM), which hosts the , it was great to witness the incredible innovation and entrepreneurship happening in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€”and the strong ties between this community and CBSM.
The Pub was packed with UAF students, local investors, business owners, the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ Center ICE team, and innovators from around ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥. Two companies with connections to AIC pitched during the event. Serena Allen of , the '23 AIC champion, opened the evening by sharing her vision for improving air quality in cities with heavy pollution. Vienna Mott, AIC '24 semifinalist, presented her company, Poliquicks, an app that shares non-biased news and information.
The event showcased six innovative startups with Q&A to follow, each tackling unique challenges:
- Adivo by
- Swiftly Sound by
- by
- by
- by &
- PanÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ LLC by
After the presentation, they hosted a live vote for the fan favorite; the winner was PanÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ LLC, a solution for accessible construction in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥. Door prizes were randomly selected on the spot, including a gift certificate for , gBETA accelerator alumni and AIC '22 winner, won by our very own Tammy Tragis-McCook, CBSM Director of Development and Outreach.
Serena Allen opens the evening with her pitch for AirVitalize.
Vienna Mott, AIC '24 semifinalist, answers questions from the crowd.
Spotlight on gBETA ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s Impact
gBETA ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥, a free accelerator program for early-stage startups, has significantly contributed to ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s entrepreneurial landscape. To date, the program has:
- Created 90 jobs in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥,
- Helped 30 startup companies,
- And raised over $5.2 million in funding.
Morrow Duszynski takes a selfie with Erica Dye, gBETA ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥'s Program Manager.
gBETA and Center ICE prepared yummy snacks for attendees and one free drink ticket.