Entrepreneurs win pitch competition for their business strategies

Three local entrepreneurs were named as winners of the New Jersey Multicultural Small Business Accelerator Program Pitch Competition by M&T Bank’s Jersey City Multicultural Small Business Accelerator Program and the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC) at NJCU School of Business on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

The competition is a seven-week program that provides participants with resources and training to refine their business strategies.

Over 70 entrepreneurs applied to join the program, with 34 selected to participate. Initial pitch presentations took place on Oct. 29, where seven finalists moved forward to the final competition. A panel of judges representing M&T, NJCU, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and other local business leaders selected the winners.

The three winning participants were awarded a combined total of $30,000 during the competition’s final pitch event following their presentations.

Howie Jeon of TaleWeaver in West New York won first place, which was $15,000. TaleWeaver is an AI-powered interactive storytelling app meant to empower children to create and control personalized stories while building essential reading skills.

Marcos Navas of E-Sports Creative League in Teaneck won second place, which was $10,000. E-Sports Creative League is an e-sports creative studio that allows gamers to become creators, shifting from passive gameplay to roles in game design, digital storytelling and content creation.

Susan Fair of Helping Further Hearts Community Outreach in Jersey City won third place, which was $5,000. Helping Hurting Hearts Community Outreach is a non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting underserved populations, especially for seniors and women reentering their communities after incarceration.

The Multicultural Small Business Accelerator Program was designed to foster growth for small businesses within the New Jersey community, providing a foundation for businesses to sustain themselves.