Fast Pitch Finalists | WomenFoundersNetwork

2024 Fast Pitch Finalists

(Alphabetical order by company name in each track)

TECH/TECH-ENABLED TRACK:

CONSUMER/CPG TRACK:

Winner: 2024 Jr. Venture Capitalist Award

AI-Learners is an EdTech tool that helps K-12 students with all abilities learn early math and literacy through personalized AI-driven games and analytics.

Bonny sells amazing-tasting fiber products that help get things moving! We have fruit-flavored fiber powders, which combine with liquid, and dried fruit and fiber squares that can be enjoyed on the go. Bonny is made with 100% natural ingredients and contains nothing artificial. It’s time fiber got the make-over it deserved!

Adele Smolansky is the Founder and CEO of AI-Learners. She grew up in NYC and is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2023. After working towards her PhD at Stanford University for one year, she took a leave of absence to pursue AI-Learners full time.

Adele Smolansky

CEO

Jessica Postiglione

Founder & CEO

Jessica Postiglione is the Founder & CEO of Bonny, an amazing-tasting fiber supplement brand that is helping people bathroom better. Jessica is a serial entrepreneur in the consumer products space and has been a consultant to global conglomerates and start-ups alike. Before making the leap to entrepreneurship, Jessica was a finance professional and corporate strategist. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the Harvard Business School.

AI Merch is an AI-powered computer vision technology that automates in-store shelf data collection for CPG distributors, acting as a co-pilot for merchandisers and supervisors and ensuring 98% data and report accuracy. The technology provides unique strategic insights across supply chains, empowering C-level executives and sales managers to make accurate, well-informed decisions.

Flourish Plant is a plant care brand bringing better-for-you products to the next generation of house plant parents. Just two years ago, co-founders Lila Sullivan and Kate Ferguson launched Flourish Plant Food - an organic houseplant fertilizer made from upcycled food waste out of Austin, TX. Flourish is now available in almost 500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods Market!

Anna Vladymyrska

CEO & Co-Founder

Anna Vladymyrska is a Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Columbia with a BA in Economics. She is currently pursuing a dual degree in cybersecurity and sustainability at Stanford, having received the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. Anna worked as an investment banking analyst at Credit Suisse’s Global Industrials Group and Nomura in New York. In 2019, she was selected as one of McKinsey's Next Generation Women Leaders. With her current venture, AI Merch, she has become part of Techstars NYC 2023, Google for Startups: Women Founders 2024, Stanford Emergence, and the Stanford Impact Founder Fellowships in Ecopreneurship (SIF-Eco), among other accelerators.

Lila Sullivan

Co-Founder

Kate's and Lila’s roots go way back - to the high school science fair circuit, and albeit competitors, the two always bonded over their mutual affinity for the natural world. The two found their way back in a much, dare we say ‘cooler’ version of their glorious science fair days - Kate bringing the creative energy and vision as CEO and Lila making it come to life with her knack for logistics as President. Flourish was born out of the desire to help friends and peers cultivate beauty and growth in the spaces that matter most through sustainable products and relatable tips for a plant life well lived. Flourish Plant Food will change the game of plant care as we know it—we can't wait to bring the joy of flourishing to this growing community

Goomi Banner 2 tone no tagline copy - Mika Leah.jpeg

Goomi Group has built a wellness ecosystem to improve hybrid workforce engagement with innovative experiences.

Goomi: Where Health Thrives, Happiness Follows.

Rif Care is a first of its kind period care company that makes biodegradable products out of hemp fiber.

Mika Leah

CEO & Founder

Entrepreneur Mika Leah, a young heart disease survivor who overcame 5 heart stents, transformed her personal battles into a wellness mission. This commitment led her to establish Goomi Group, focused on making wellness accessible in workplaces. Mika's powerful story has captivated audiences, featured on CNN, NBC, and CBS, inspiring others to prioritize their well-being.

Valerie Emanuel

CEO & Co-Founder

California native Val Emanuel is a mother, model, entrepreneur, and founder of Rif Care, a newly launched first of its kind period care brand made with hemp fiber. The fully biodegradable pads are providing a safe alternative to personal care. Growing up, Emanuel was very conscious about waste due to being raised in a low-income household with a lack of resources. Rif Care was an opportunity for her to make a necessary product regenerative, not just sustainable with affordable price points. Using regenerative agriculture, Rif Care’s menstrual care and wellness products contain only plant-based ingredients, offering women the much-desired choice of safety and sustainability

Winner: 2024 Fast Pitch, Tech Track

RxPost is a powerful inventory management and exchange platform that transforms excess pharmacy inventory into revenue by leveraging real-time data to streamline the supply chain, improve pharmacy profitability, and ensure vital drugs reach those in need—driving efficiency and sustainability in the industry.

Winner: 2024 Fast Pitch, Consumer Track

TUYYO instant Agua Fresca mixes offer the authentic taste of traditional agua fresca in a convenient powdered form for a healthier, all-natural beverage this is ready to be enjoyed in seconds.

Amantha Bagdon

Founder & CEO

Amantha Bagdon is the founder and CEO of RxPost, driven by a bold vision: a world without pharmaceutical waste. Her journey began with nearly 20 years as a pharmacy technician, where she worked alongside pharmacists preparing medications, managing inventory, and assisting patients.
During her time behind the counter, Amantha witnessed a significant problem: good medicine going to waste due to overstocking and inflexible return policies. This inspired her to create RxPost, a marketplace where pharmacies can sell their excess, unexpired medications to others in need.

Stefanie Garcia Turner
Founder and CEO

Stefanie Garcia Turner is a seasoned professional with over 18 years of experience in the natural products CPG industry. She spent much of this time working in operations and procurement at Whole Foods Market and later as a sales manager at The Honest Company and This Saves Lives. With her latest venture, TUYYO Foods, Stefanie is focused on modernizing the powdered drink mix category with culturally relevant Latin flavors and better-for-you ingredients. She holds a B.S. in Foodservice Management from Johnson & Wales University and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

Well Water Finders locates groundwater - addressing critical challenges in real estate, agriculture, ranching, municipalities, and beyond. The company’s patented remote-sensing technology determines the location, depth and volume of groundwater, helping determine sustainable water supply solutions for the communities that need it most.

When you're in a munching mood for something savory, filling, and provides all the right macronutrients, Unisoy Plant Based Jerky is it! With 21g of protein per bag, 0 saturated fat, and 0 cholesterol, but BIG on taste, it's what your taste buds are seeking. Over 500 five star reviews on Amazon, you can't go wrong.

Teisha helps landowners determine if they have groundwater at their property before they spend thousands of dollars to attempt to drill a water well. She's the founder of Well Water Finders, a company that uses its patented remote sensing technology to help people locate groundwater in our drought-stricken world.

Teisha Vandekop

Founder & COO

Karin Lin

Co-Founder

Karin Lin is the co-founder of Unisoy Plant Based Jerky. Her passion lies in snacking, and she believes that good eats with friends bring out the best conversations. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the lack of variety in savory, high-protein snacks led her to create plant-based jerky that's bursting with flavor. She realized there are many like her who are looking for discerning flavor profiles and want to be plant based forward, but without the fillers and junk. She is a proud UC Berkeley alumna and recently graduated from UCLA Anderson with an Executive MBA degree. Since taking Unisoy Plant Based Jerky through the UCLA Venture Accelerator, she's been on a mission to bring tantalizing plant-based jerky to YOU! Join her and enjoy every bite along the way!