- 3 months ago
Cheer on local founders on Saturday and national founders on Sunday as they compete in two distinct POWER PITCH! competitions for a chance to win a share of $100,000 in funding. Discover innovative brands, hear inspiring entrepreneurial journeys, and watch bold ideas take center stage.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:01All right, welcome, welcome, welcome Essence Festival.
00:04My name is Quinn Conyers and I'm super excited about the very next segment that we are going to do.
00:10It is called Power Pitch.
00:12Now, if you are in this area, go ahead very quickly and find your seat
00:16because we have three amazing, fabulous founders, business owners
00:20who are going to pitch their business for funding.
00:24And we are so excited that you are here.
00:26How many of you are having a good time at Essence Fest 2026?
00:30All right, I like to see it.
00:32So here's what's going to happen.
00:34First and foremost, you look good and you smell good, okay?
00:37So give it up for yourselves right now, all right?
00:40So I want to warmly welcome you to the ninth annual New Voices 100,000 Power Pitch Competition
00:49right here at Essence Fest 2026.
00:53Now, here's why you should be excited.
00:54Since 2018, the New Voices Foundation has been on a mission to help entrepreneurs build, grow,
01:03and scale their businesses with purpose all through its powerful PACE model,
01:09which is about purpose, access, capital, and expertise.
01:13Now, through business pitch competitions like this, so many things are going to happen,
01:19as well as with accelerators and boot camps and coaching, mentoring, and masterclasses.
01:25New Voices is proud to provide flexible, non-diluted funding and unmatched opportunities to connect and learn.
01:34But right about now, it is time to hear three amazing entrepreneurs pitch their business.
01:40Are y'all ready?
01:41Are y'all excited?
01:42So let me explain to you what exactly is happening.
01:46We've got three local incredible entrepreneurs right here from New Orleans
01:51who are going to share their business journeys and their vision with all of you today.
01:57Now, each of these panelists get five minutes to pitch.
02:00How much time?
02:02Five minutes.
02:03After that five minutes, we have three amazing judges
02:06who are going to ask them questions about their businesses,
02:10and then they're going to evaluate each pitch, and guess what?
02:14We got some prizes, y'all.
02:15How many of y'all like money?
02:17Okay, so do I.
02:18So let me explain to you how this is going to work.
02:21After each entrepreneur pitches their business and the judges deliberate,
02:26we got one person who is going to win a $10,000 grant
02:30along with valuable business coaching and support from the New Voices Foundation.
02:34Can we give it up for New Voices Foundation?
02:38Now we have one other entrepreneur who is going to win a $15,000 grant for their business,
02:44again, from the New Voices Foundation.
02:46Can we give it up for $15,000?
02:50And last but certainly not least, we have one entrepreneur
02:53who is going to stand on this stage and pitch their business
02:57for a chance to win $25,000 for their business.
03:03So let's go ahead and get started because I know that's exactly what you're here for.
03:08I'm going to introduce the three distinguished judges
03:11who have the challenge and the charge to pick the very best pitch for tonight.
03:15Up first from NVF Capital, we have Luke Thompson.
03:20Let's give it up for Luke.
03:24Joining Luke as an amazing judge,
03:26we have Ms. Camille Campbell of the Louisiana Growth Network.
03:31Yes.
03:32Come on, Ms. Camille.
03:34And last but certainly not least,
03:36we have Dr. Trivia Frazier of Avatala Sciences.
03:43All right, y'all, so here's what I want you to do.
03:45When each founder gets on stage,
03:48I want you to give them some love, some energy, and excitement
03:51as they share their business and their passion with all of us.
03:54Can y'all do that for me?
03:56All right.
03:56Up first to pitch their business,
03:58we're going to welcome to the stage
04:01the owner and founder of Top Tutors for Us,
04:04Ms. Amazing Angelica Harris.
04:07Let's give it up for Angelica.
04:30Hello, my name is Angelica Harris,
04:32and I'm the founder and CEO of Top Tutors for Us.
04:35Did you know only 5% of black students
04:39score above a 20 on all four sections of the ACT?
04:45How can we change that?
04:49Meet Kimberly, a senior in New Orleans from McDonald's 35.
04:54She's a straight-A student, a major right on the dance team,
04:57and aspires to go to college on a full-ride scholarship.
05:01However, Kimberly has a 19 on the ACT.
05:06Kimberly's story resonates with me.
05:08I was a student with strong grades but a low test score in the bottom 20th percentile.
05:15It wasn't until I got connected with an educator who understood my background
05:20and who looked like me that my score increased to the top 99th percentile.
05:25With a much higher test score, I scored in the top 99th percentile
05:31and was offered over $1.5 million in college scholarships.
05:38I then went to Washington University in St. Louis
05:41where I earned three degrees, including my master's in computer science.
05:45Most people will see Kimberly's 19.
05:47I saw potential.
05:49That's why I built Top Tutors for Us.
05:53Introducing the matchmaking platform of academic success.
05:58According to the National Bureau of Economic Research,
06:01when black students have one or more black teachers,
06:03they are 32 percent more likely to graduate and enroll into college.
06:09So we're applying that same research to test prep.
06:13Our proprietary platform evaluates over 200 academic, cultural,
06:19and behavioral features to make the perfect match between a student and tutor.
06:25Kimberly was paired with Top Tutor Deja, who attends Howard University.
06:30Deja also is on the major at Dan's team,
06:33and Deja comes from a similar background and understands Kimberly's struggles.
06:42Our platform, we recruit our tutors from universities,
06:45the top universities in the nations, like Howard, Harvard, Stanford.
06:49Our students are improving their ACT scores by six composite points
06:53and over 300 points on the SAT.
06:57We have a 100 percent contract renewal rate
07:00because we're able to show impact in schools,
07:02such as getting some schools where they start up at 0 percent of their students passing
07:06to over 70 percent of their students passing.
07:10We have a couple ways that we generate revenue recurring.
07:14One, B2B with school districts and non-profit organizations
07:18that we have licenses and multi-year agreements.
07:22Also, subscriptions for parents.
07:28The standardized test prep market is over $30 billion,
07:31and we're starting off with black students in the $500 million space
07:35who plan to dominate this and then expand to other academic tutoring
07:39and readiness programming.
07:44So, in our platform, we have over 5,000 users,
07:47along with, we started off with four schools
07:50that we increased to over 20, over 30 schools in the past couple of years.
07:54We even converted a New Orleans public school contract
07:57to a partnership with the state of Louisiana Department of Education.
08:05And just recently, we were featured in Yahoo.com because of our work.
08:11Now, let's go back to Kimberly.
08:13So, Kimberly increased her ACT score because of top tutors for us
08:18from a 19 to a 24.
08:21She also earned valedictorian in her class at McDonald's 35.
08:26And this semester, she'll be attending Xavier University
08:29on a Fulbright scholarship.
08:32Yeah.
08:34Kimberly's also coming back as a top tutor on our platform,
08:37and that's why we're building this.
08:39So, we know there are other Kimberly's out there that need our support,
08:42and they think that their future is defined by a number,
08:45but we know it's not.
08:55So, I have a question for you.
08:58I believe you mentioned this already, but I just want to clarify.
09:02How do you measure the impact and overall success of your platform?
09:06What are some of the KPIs that you're tracking?
09:09That's a great question.
09:10So, we start off every student with an assessment,
09:12and because it's a standardized test prep,
09:14then we have a clear number of where they're starting
09:17and a clear number of where they're ending when they take the official test prep.
09:20We also gauge engagement with the platform.
09:22So, how often do students complete their homework assignments,
09:25meet with their tutors?
09:26So, those are the key metrics we're measuring.
09:31Fantastic progress so far.
09:33What are your challenges with scaling this up
09:35in terms of matching the tutors with students?
09:39Yeah.
09:40So, of course, it's humans.
09:42So, you know, trying to scale humans,
09:43that's very challenging to millions of students.
09:45However, we know we've created strong distribution channels
09:49to recruit our tutors from these top institutions
09:52through partnerships at the universities.
09:55So, but we're able to leverage technology like artificial intelligence
09:59that allows us to offer more of our, you know,
10:04our tutors can do more work with multiple students at a time.
10:10Thank you so much.
10:12With the tutors, how are you evaluating them
10:15and making sure that they're qualified
10:17and successful on an ongoing basis?
10:21That's a great question.
10:22So, our platform has rating systems.
10:24And so far, students have rated our tutors 4.9 stars.
10:28So, we have those that appear after every session.
10:32On top of that, we are recruiting them from these top institutions,
10:36vetting them based on their test scores
10:38and past teaching leadership experience.
10:40And that allows us to make sure that we're vetting
10:42and training the best tutors.
10:58All right, let's give Angelica one more round of applause.
11:03She is the founder and CEO of Top Tutors for Us.
11:07And also, let's give it up for the judges with those questions.
11:10Okay, let's give them a round of applause.
11:13So, here's what you need to know and understand.
11:15I know that many of you are here to support someone who's an entrepreneur.
11:19When you're listening to the pitch,
11:21be mindful of how they are describing their business,
11:23but also pay attention to the questions that the judges are asking
11:28because you want to make sure if you were up here pitching your business,
11:31you can also answer those as well.
11:34So, as we get ready for our second pitch participant,
11:38how many of y'all are having a good time at Essence Festival?
11:41See, some of y'all ain't having a good time.
11:43Who's having a great time?
11:45At Essence Festival.
11:46Okay, I'm going to talk over here because this is a vibe.
11:49This is cultural excellence.
11:51This is where you can be supported and celebrated
11:54as someone who believes and respects the culture.
11:58So, we're going to go ahead and keep this business pitch competition going.
12:01We have our very next entrepreneur from Drums Ear Wear,
12:07the one, the only dynamic, Dr. Laina Joseph.
12:11Give her some love as she makes her way to the stage.
12:19They did not give me a mic.
12:21They did not give me a mic.
12:26I'm waiting for them to give me a mic.
12:27Uh-huh.
12:37They did not give me a mic.
12:41Hello, everyone.
12:44Most people love music,
12:45but what they don't love is what it does to your ears.
12:50Earbuds fall out all the time.
12:52Headphones leave your ears ringing.
12:54Pain in the ears.
12:57For decades, the audio industry has competed
13:00to make products louder, but not safer.
13:04Meanwhile, more than 1.5 billion people
13:07are investing in this industry
13:10and living with some degree of hearing loss.
13:13That's according to the World Health Organization,
13:15which protects 2.5 billion people
13:18by 2050 will have hearing loss.
13:22Yet consumers continue to spend money.
13:24Y'all do it.
13:25$82 billion they spend on earbuds and headphones.
13:29That market has historically prioritized volume
13:33over listening safety.
13:36At Drums, we believe it doesn't have to be that way.
13:39Drums is an audiologist-founded,
13:41consumer electronics company
13:43creating headphones, in-ear monitors,
13:47and earbuds engineered to deliver safe listening.
13:50Instead of simply increasing the volume
13:52when you're listening,
13:53our proprietary high-frequency tuning
13:56allows you to listen at safer levels.
13:59We enhance the frequencies
14:01that contribute most to speech clarity
14:03so that you can understand what's being said
14:06instead of constantly cranking up the volume
14:09just to hear.
14:11Now, as a clinical audiologist
14:13for more than 10 years
14:14and founder and CEO
14:15of High Level Speech and Hearing Center
14:17right here in New Orleans,
14:18and after having served over 10,000 patients,
14:21I've seen firsthand what hearing loss
14:24or listening to devices really loudly
14:27can do to your ears.
14:29One thing I've learned
14:31is that people don't actually want the sound
14:33to be louder.
14:34You don't.
14:35You just want it to be clearer.
14:37And that is the same principle
14:39that we founded Drums Underneath.
14:42So what makes us different?
14:44It isn't just our technology.
14:46We're actually the first headphone company
14:48founded by a black female audiologist.
14:53We sit at the intersection of technology,
14:56culture, and wellness,
14:57making safer headphones achievable
14:59and affordable
15:01at just the small price of $1.99 a pair.
15:05Today, Drums generates revenue
15:07through direct-to-consumer,
15:09e-commerce channels, Amazon.
15:11We're on Walmart Marketplace,
15:13live events.
15:14We actually have a booth
15:15at Essence Fest here.
15:17And collegiate licensing partnerships.
15:20We've sold over more than 5,000 units
15:23to audiophiles and casual listeners,
15:25generated over $500,000 in revenue,
15:28secured distribution on Amazon and Walmart,
15:32earned collegiate licensing
15:33with Xavier University
15:35and Nickel State University,
15:37and pursuing additional
15:39university partnerships.
15:41We've also built brand credibility
15:42through activation,
15:44the Coca-Cola stage.
15:46Again, we're right over there.
15:48Sponsorships with the New Orleans Pelicans,
15:51product features during NBA All-Star Game
15:53and Super Bowl weekend.
15:55In fact, most recently,
15:57Babyface was featured wearing our product,
16:00and then during Grammy Award,
16:02we had Dolce wearing our product,
16:05so it was really cool.
16:06And we've also been in multiple gift cards.
16:09To date, we've built drums
16:10with no outside capital.
16:12I've been funding this thing by myself.
16:14Praise God.
16:15But as we continue to scale manufacturing,
16:18improve margins,
16:19and expand retail and licensing partnerships,
16:23we're building more than just a headphone company.
16:26We're building a lifelong hearing brand.
16:31Today, drums empowers consumers
16:34to protect their hearing
16:35through everyday audio products.
16:37But tomorrow,
16:39we'll leverage our clinical experience
16:41to expand into hearing aid technology,
16:44allowing us to serve consumers
16:46in every stage of their hearing journey,
16:49from prevention to protection to treatment.
16:52We believe no other consumer audio company
16:55is better positioned to bridge the gap
16:57between lifestyle technology and hearing care.
17:01Because at drums,
17:02safe listening isn't just the real flex.
17:05It's the future of hearing technology.
17:11Oh, Lord.
17:16You're welcome.
17:17I have a question about the technology.
17:20Can you talk a little bit more about,
17:22other than maybe like volume restrictions,
17:24what's going on
17:25that makes your headphones safer?
17:27Yes.
17:28I can talk a little bit about it
17:30because it's proprietary.
17:31Yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:31No secrets.
17:32No trade secrets.
17:33But we do,
17:35we incorporate high frequency tuning,
17:37which means that the drivers in our headphones
17:39are not the typical
17:42one dynamic driver
17:44that you'll see in a lot of earbuds.
17:45Like, for example, your AirPods,
17:47you might have one dynamic driver in there,
17:49but that's why they're not as clear.
17:51But what we do is we say,
17:53okay, well, let's also add
17:54some high frequency drivers
17:56inside of the headphones.
17:57So instead of just dealing with one,
17:59you're dealing with five.
18:01That's the difference
18:02between our earbud product
18:03and any pair of earbuds you would wear.
18:05That's actually the same technology.
18:08One of,
18:09one of the celebrities,
18:10probably the most,
18:11the biggest known celebrity
18:12that I fit with my product is Drake.
18:14And that's the same technology
18:16we use for him.
18:18Thanks.
18:19Little flex.
18:20My flex.
18:22Fantastic progress.
18:24Amazing job.
18:25And you can listen to them
18:26if you guys didn't know.
18:28They're actually on.
18:29So if you wanted to,
18:29I'm sorry.
18:31That's okay.
18:31Yeah, they're on.
18:32Yeah, they should be on.
18:34Yeah.
18:34Okay, we'll try.
18:36Wow.
18:36Okay.
18:37One question.
18:38How do you set yourself apart
18:40with such a highly competitive market?
18:43You have some fantastic users already.
18:46How do you do that?
18:47Just honestly,
18:49the education behind it is huge for us.
18:52So when we do our social media
18:53and we do our newsletters,
18:55even if you go on our website,
18:57the first thing it says is,
18:59include your email,
19:00like submit your email information
19:01so that you can get our weekly tips
19:03from Dr. J.
19:04So you have direct access
19:05to an audiologist,
19:06a real doctor of audiology,
19:08graduated from
19:09Washington School of Medicine
19:09in St. Louis, Missouri.
19:12So we set ourselves apart
19:15because we are the only audiology-founded
19:17headphone brand out there
19:18that actually focuses on safer listening.
19:22I'll be real quick.
19:24What measurable milestone
19:26do you hope to achieve
19:27within the next one or two years
19:28with this funding?
19:30Yes.
19:30Okay.
19:31So I am super excited
19:32because not only do I have my patented,
19:35I know y'all can't see it,
19:36but the Hobby Lobby frame right there,
19:39that's actually my patent.
19:41That was my first patent
19:42and I'm super excited about it.
19:44But in addition to having that,
19:46right over here on the side,
19:48we have some of the hearing aid devices
19:50that we've been working on.
19:51So they're actually sitting right there.
19:53I know y'all can't see it.
19:54I'm sorry.
19:55But that would be the next thing.
19:57I believe there's a huge market
19:58for over-the-counter hearing aid devices.
20:00And I know that we are the perfect brand
20:03to do that.
20:04Some of the other,
20:05like I think Bose and JBL,
20:08they're getting into hearing aids,
20:09but y'all not audiologists?
20:11Y'all not audiologists, but I am.
20:13So we're looking forward
20:15to entering the over-the-counter
20:16hearing aid market
20:17and not just helping people
20:18to have, you know,
20:20access to headphones and earbuds.
20:22But throughout their entire journey
20:24from clinical,
20:24where they can come into my office
20:26and have a hearing test
20:27to listening to the earphones
20:29to prevent them from having hearing loss.
20:31And then if you do have it,
20:32here we go,
20:33we got treatment for you too.
20:49All right, let's go ahead
20:51and give Dr. Laina Joseph
20:53from Drums Earware
20:54one more round of applause.
20:57As you can see,
20:58she has shared her vision with us.
21:00She has shared her passion with us.
21:01And that's exactly
21:02what this pitch competition is about.
21:04We are funding business owners
21:06and entrepreneurs
21:07who are sharing their passion,
21:10their energy,
21:10their drive,
21:11but more importantly,
21:12their product with us.
21:14Now listen, y'all,
21:15we got one more fabulous founder
21:17who is going to pitch her business.
21:19Now let me tell you something.
21:20It is always hard to go first
21:22and it's always hard to go last.
21:24But you know what?
21:25Y'all been giving me great energy.
21:27So I want to make sure
21:28that you give our very last founder
21:30the same energy,
21:31the same encouragement
21:32that you gave the first two.
21:34Can I count on you to do that?
21:35So when I introduce
21:37our final pitch participant,
21:39I want you to give them
21:39just as much love
21:40as the first two.
21:42All right.
21:42So here is the finalist
21:44for the power pitch competition.
21:46We have the amazing
21:48Lo Williams Thomas
21:50of Zenistry Labs.
21:52Let's go ahead
21:52and give Lo some love.
22:05Hello, Essence Fest.
22:06Good afternoon.
22:08I want to ask y'all
22:10a question before I start.
22:11Who in here has used
22:13a cosmetic product today?
22:14Raise your hand.
22:16Okay, look around the room.
22:18What you're looking at
22:20right now is chemistry.
22:21Long before products
22:23were put on the shelf
22:24at Sephora and Walmart
22:25as we see them,
22:27somebody had to take an idea
22:29and bring it into market
22:31and make it a real thing.
22:33Based on them doing that,
22:36there's been times
22:37where we had to, you know,
22:39figure out what it is
22:40we needed to do
22:41to move forward
22:42with progression
22:43and innovation
22:44and things that matter to us.
22:47If you have hyperpigmentation,
22:48if you have skin care products,
22:50what do we need to do
22:51to fix those things?
22:53Well, my name is
22:54Lo Williams Thomas.
22:55I am the CEO
22:56and founder
22:57of Zenistry Laboratories
22:58and I am here
22:59to solve that problem.
23:03Yes, so I,
23:05my expertise is
23:07from companies like L'Oreal,
23:10Mary Kay,
23:11as well as BASF.
23:12And as I was in the industry,
23:13I noticed that
23:15there were a lot of gaps,
23:16things that we wouldn't,
23:17we weren't able to feel
23:19when it came to skin care
23:20or hair care
23:21or all of the things.
23:22So I started to think to myself,
23:25what is the gap?
23:25How do I feel this?
23:27So as I continued
23:29through the industry,
23:30I was able to get
23:31more experience
23:32and then I realized
23:33these large companies don't,
23:35they're not great and large
23:37because they have more ideas.
23:39They're great because
23:40they have access,
23:42they have ecosystems,
23:43they have all of the systems
23:44in place to make
23:45those things happen.
23:46So they have all of the labs,
23:48all of the scientists
23:48and all of the equipment
23:50to bring those things to market
23:52and a founder that's starting
23:54or someone that's trying
23:55to innovate something,
23:56they have to go
23:57to multiple different channels
23:58with timelines and partners
24:00and it's not all in one space.
24:03So they've come up
24:04with all of these ideas
24:05and they couldn't even bring them
24:06to the market
24:07because they need all
24:08of these different platforms.
24:10So with me finding
24:12those things out,
24:13I was able to,
24:15in 2022,
24:16create Zenistry Laboratories.
24:21So we are a contract manufacturer
24:24and I am proud to say
24:25we are the first
24:26and only black woman-owned
24:28contract manufacturing company
24:30in the state of Louisiana.
24:32We've been able to grow
24:34from 750 square feet
24:36to 30,000 square feet
24:38of manufacturing
24:39and laboratory space
24:40where we have customers
24:42that are able to come to us
24:43to get all of these
24:45different facets
24:46to be able to bring their product
24:48from concept
24:49to commercialization.
24:51So the problem wasn't
24:53what they didn't have.
24:55It was access to those things
24:57and we've been able
24:58to create that.
24:59So they can come to us
25:00and get their ideas out.
25:02I've had people come and say,
25:04hey, I got this on a piece of paper.
25:05I want to make this.
25:06And as well,
25:07I've had large companies say,
25:09hey, we're ready for manufacturing.
25:10We would like you
25:11to make our products.
25:12So with that,
25:14I was able to put
25:15these processes in place
25:16based on my expertise
25:18and this is what
25:19we have been able to do.
25:21We have helped
25:22over 100 companies
25:23get all of their products
25:25into market.
25:26We have helped
25:27over 10,000 students
25:29be able to be introduced
25:30to the science cosmetic industry
25:32as well as pivoted
25:34all of our brands
25:35into all of these retailers
25:37you see right here
25:38on this screen.
25:39That is big.
25:40Clap it up for them
25:41for sure.
25:43So why our clients
25:44stay with us?
25:45They stay with us
25:46because we help them grow.
25:47We put all of the things
25:49in place to be able
25:50to have them have
25:51the discovery
25:52if they want to come in
25:53at the product development,
25:54manufacturing,
25:55as well as
25:56just contract manufacturing
25:58all together.
26:00So the time is now
26:02to be able to do this.
26:03We have seen
26:05Madam C.J. Walker
26:06build those brands
26:07when she was here
26:08over a decade ago.
26:09And now Zenistry
26:10is showing you
26:11that we can actually
26:12build beauty
26:13as well for them.
26:14The beauty industry
26:16exceeds $700 billion.
26:19We can have access
26:21to that for us,
26:23all of our skin care,
26:24all of our innovations,
26:25as well as everything
26:26that we do.
26:27So the problem
26:28that we are solving
26:29is not just products.
26:31The problem
26:31that we are solving
26:32is access,
26:34is legacy,
26:35is ownership.
26:36And that's what
26:37Zenistry Labs
26:38is able to do
26:39for our community today.
26:51Hello.
26:54Could you talk about
26:55what you might be able
26:57to achieve
26:58with some additional capital,
27:00like what specific
27:01business goals
27:02or milestones
27:03you're trying to accomplish?
27:04Absolutely.
27:06So within our
27:0630,000 square foot space,
27:08we'll be able
27:09to get more equipment
27:10as well as
27:12expand our capacities
27:13to help more entrepreneurs
27:15and bigger companies
27:17as well
27:18who want to innovate things
27:19in a different facet.
27:21But we'll also be able
27:22to build our workforce
27:23development
27:24for the state of Louisiana
27:25to create jobs.
27:27We're building
27:28the next scientists,
27:29the next manufacturers,
27:31engineers as well.
27:32So we're creating
27:33a space for them
27:34to have jobs
27:35and access
27:36to all of the things
27:38that we are trying
27:38to push forward
27:39as well as
27:41we are trying
27:42to place a museum
27:43inside of our
27:44actual manufacturing space
27:45so that when people
27:47come and do tours,
27:48they don't just see
27:49us making products.
27:50They can see
27:51where these things
27:52came from
27:52and the history
27:53behind them.
27:54So that way,
27:55while we are making
27:56those products,
27:57they have a full
27:58understanding of it.
28:02So how do you keep up
28:04with the beauty
28:05and wellness trends
28:06to help ensure
28:09that your clients
28:09remain competitive?
28:11I test them on myself.
28:13I am my own guinea pig.
28:16Those that know me,
28:17I'm a chemist at heart,
28:19so I'm the one
28:20that loves to get
28:21in the spaces
28:22and innovate as well
28:24and just really be
28:25in the ground space
28:26with them
28:27so we can be
28:27very innovative.
28:29So we can know
28:30what works,
28:30what doesn't work,
28:31but as well,
28:32we're developing
28:33new innovative
28:34clinical trials
28:35to be able to test.
28:38So we're creating
28:383D models
28:39so we'll be able
28:41to test
28:42on artificial skin,
28:44the scalp,
28:45the nail cuticle,
28:46oral care as well.
28:47So that way,
28:48when we're testing
28:49these products,
28:50we're not the
28:51guinea pigs anymore.
28:52We can have
28:53these things tested out
28:54in those facets
28:55and it's very reputable.
29:01Fantastic progress.
29:02What would you see
29:03as your biggest
29:05set of milestones
29:06over the next
29:0712 to 24 months?
29:08My next set
29:10of milestones
29:10over the
29:1212 to 24 months
29:14would be
29:15to completely
29:16get our new
29:18innovative space
29:19together
29:19so that way
29:21we could really
29:22help those
29:23right now
29:24because there is
29:25somebody in their
29:25kitchen right now
29:26mixing things together,
29:29hoping and praying
29:30that, you know,
29:31it comes full
29:32circle for them
29:34as well as
29:35being able to
29:36help those students
29:37be able to have
29:38a place where
29:38they can actually come
29:40so they can say,
29:41hey, I'm a part
29:42of something
29:43other than what
29:44I thought I was
29:45supposed to be a part of
29:46because they don't know
29:47that they have
29:48these innovative spaces
29:49or industries
29:50so we want to,
29:53you know,
29:54give them the opportunity
29:55to see what is out there
29:57as well as being able
29:59to create jobs
30:01as well as
30:02helping brands
30:03get into more retails,
30:05all of the things,
30:06but definitely
30:06getting our
30:0730,000 square foot
30:09manufacturing space
30:10together
30:10so that way
30:11everyone can benefit
30:12from it.
30:29All right,
30:30let's go ahead
30:31and give
30:31Lil' Williams Thomas
30:32one more round of applause
30:33from Zenistry Labs.
30:36All right, everyone,
30:37so get excited
30:38because now
30:39what the judges
30:40are going to do
30:40is they're going to
30:41go behind stage
30:42and deliberate
30:43and just to give you
30:44a little bit of update,
30:45one person
30:46is going to win
30:47$10,000 grant
30:48from the New Voices Foundation,
30:51another person
30:52is going to win
30:52$15,000
30:53and we want
30:54one grand prize winner
30:56of an entrepreneur
30:57walking away
30:58with $25,000.
31:01Okay, judges,
31:02you got a good job
31:03and a hard job.
31:04You can go to my left
31:06and go and deliberate
31:07on who will be
31:08the winner
31:09of the power pitch competition
31:10for $10,000, $15,000,
31:12and guess what?
31:14$25,000.
31:15All right.
31:17So, by a show of hands,
31:19I am curious,
31:20how many of you
31:20watched QVC or HSN
31:22when you were younger
31:23with your mom
31:23or your grandparent?
31:25All right.
31:25Well, listen,
31:26we're going to bring
31:26QVC-style product showcase
31:29right here
31:30to Essence Fest 2026,
31:32except we're going to showcase
31:33all melanin entrepreneurs.
31:35Is that exciting?
31:37So, as we are about
31:38to kick this thing off,
31:39I'm going to actually
31:40come downstage
31:42just so you understand
31:43what's happening.
31:45We are going to showcase
31:46each of these
31:46fabulous founders.
31:48They're going to have
31:49a couple of minutes
31:49to showcase their product,
31:51and then we are going
31:52to show this for you
31:53and to you.
31:54All right?
31:55Y'all ready?
31:57The first founder we have
31:58is Fab Boutique.
32:00We're the owner
32:01of Fab Boutique.
32:02Come on up to the stage.
32:04Give her some love
32:05as she makes her way
32:05up to the stage.
32:06All right,
32:07stand right here with me,
32:08okay?
32:09So, tell everybody
32:09what is your name,
32:11and of course,
32:12show us some
32:12of your fabulous products.
32:14Good evening, everyone.
32:15My name is
32:16Shanrika Dangerville,
32:17and I'm the owner
32:17of Fab Boutique,
32:18and Etc.
32:19The first item
32:20is my cherry vest,
32:22which I absolutely love
32:23with my sequins skirts.
32:24I decided to pair it up
32:26with the Glamaholics bag,
32:27as everyone knows
32:28who Glamaholics is.
32:29I thought it went really well.
32:31Then I paired it up
32:32with the New York Yankees hat.
32:34Right here is one
32:34of my favorite pieces.
32:36This is the jerseys.
32:36It's for all my pink
32:38and green lovers.
32:39Here's the back.
32:41Hold on.
32:42Bring that back up here.
32:43Hold on.
32:43Hold on.
32:44Hold on.
32:45Is anyone in the audience
32:46an AKA?
32:47She got any sorors?
32:48Okay.
32:49Right here.
32:50You back here.
32:50I want you to come on up
32:51real quick.
32:52Come on up.
32:52Give her some love.
32:53We're going to work this out.
32:54This is a founder showcase.
32:55Come on.
32:56She's strutting, too.
32:57This is an AKA
32:58with some season on it, right?
33:00She got some wisdom.
33:01All right?
33:01I want you to go ahead
33:02and hold this.
33:05I want you to walk down
33:06this little...
33:07We done made us
33:07a little walkway.
33:09Talk us through it.
33:10Talk us through it.
33:10What you wearing?
33:11So this is my nice
33:12little sequins tunic.
33:13It can also be worn
33:14as a dress or a top.
33:16You can pair it up
33:17with some heels
33:17or some tennis shoes
33:18if you want to be casual
33:19and laid back.
33:20You can wear it
33:21in a day-night brunch.
33:25All right.
33:26So tell us.
33:26Tell us.
33:27Give us a little bit
33:27of price point.
33:28If I'm looking at that
33:29and say,
33:29ooh, I got a brunch
33:30to go to
33:31and I got some green pumps,
33:33how much is this
33:33going to cost us?
33:34So this particular piece
33:35is $76.
33:36All right.
33:37And where can we find you
33:39if we want to either
33:40stop by your booth
33:41here at Essence Fest
33:42or if we're online?
33:43So online is
33:44www.fab,
33:46that's F-A-B,
33:47boutique,
33:48E-T-C,
33:49dot com.
33:50And my boot
33:51is headed this way
33:52if you're headed out.
33:53I'm on the third row
33:54at the end of the corner.
33:55Look for the pink curtains.
33:56All right.
33:57It would be pink curtains,
33:59wouldn't it?
33:59Yes.
34:00Okay.
34:00I love it.
34:01So give us a little bit
34:02more insight.
34:04Besides clothing,
34:06do you offer anything else
34:07at your booth?
34:08What else can they expect
34:09to find?
34:10Accessories.
34:11So I have a few earrings
34:12and a few bracelets.
34:13All right.
34:14One more time.
34:15Can you give a warm
34:16round of applause
34:17from Fab Boutique?
34:19All right.
34:20You can head over this way.
34:22Was that fun?
34:23Was that exciting?
34:24Do you want to see
34:25another fabulous product
34:26by a melanin black entrepreneur?
34:29All right.
34:29Well, y'all got to be excited
34:30because they're showcasing
34:31their blood,
34:32their sweat,
34:32and their tears, right?
34:34All right.
34:35Coming up next
34:36is we have
34:37the feelings therapist.
34:38The feelings therapist.
34:40Come on up to this stage.
34:41She's so excited.
34:42She almost forgot
34:43her microphone.
34:44All right.
34:45So we're going to go
34:45over this way.
34:46Okay.
34:47Okay.
34:50So tell us a little
34:52about what is
34:53the feelings therapist.
34:55Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
34:57So the feelings therapist
34:58is a brand
34:59that promotes
34:59emotional intelligence
35:01and teaching children
35:02and their families
35:03how to identify
35:04and express their feelings
35:05in a healthy way.
35:07I'm Davina Parker.
35:08I am a marriage
35:09and family therapist
35:10of over a decade
35:10of experience.
35:12Clearly, I am an author
35:13and I'm also a professor.
35:14And my life's work
35:15is to help you
35:16better connect with yourself
35:17so you can better connect
35:18with your family
35:19and better connect
35:20with others.
35:21Okay.
35:21So you are an author.
35:23Are these some of your books
35:24that are up here?
35:25Yes, ma'am.
35:25Okay.
35:25Tell us about these books.
35:27So we have
35:27Oh No, We're Moving
35:28with Ms. D the Feelings Therapist
35:30and then we have
35:31Oh No, I'm Being Bullied
35:32with Ms. D the Feelings Therapist.
35:33So it's a series
35:34following a military family
35:36and common challenges
35:37that's not only faced
35:38by the military
35:38but within the black community.
35:40So we have this one
35:41dealing with change,
35:42worry and anxiety
35:43and then the second book
35:44that comes out in December
35:46deals with bullying
35:47and anger and jealousy.
35:49And so in each book
35:50it focuses on a set of emotions
35:51to help increase
35:52your emotional vocabulary
35:54but how to navigate
35:55hard feelings
35:56because it's not easy.
35:58We're not born
35:58knowing how to do it.
35:59We have to be taught.
36:00I love that.
36:01So I'm going to grab
36:02one of these books right here
36:04because this one is called
36:06Oh No, We're Moving.
36:08That's right.
36:08So here's what I'm going to do.
36:09Can I be your model?
36:10Is that okay?
36:11Yes.
36:11All right, so I'm going
36:12to be your model.
36:13I'm going to walk down
36:13this runway
36:14that I just created
36:14two seconds ago, right?
36:16Right.
36:16And as I'm walking
36:17down this runway
36:17I want you to tell
36:18the people
36:19what this book is about.
36:20All right?
36:21All right.
36:21All right, let's do it.
36:22All right.
36:23This book is about
36:23a little girl named Victoria.
36:25She loves her school.
36:26She loves her family.
36:27She loves where she lives
36:28but she finds out
36:30she has to move.
36:31She finds out
36:32that change is about to happen.
36:33She finds out
36:34that she has to say goodbye
36:36and she's having
36:37a really hard time
36:38and with the help
36:38of her family
36:39and the feelings therapist,
36:40Ms. D, that's me.
36:42She's able to navigate change,
36:44communicate effectively
36:45and do better in school
36:46with her emotions
36:47and with her family.
36:48I love it.
36:49And lastly,
36:50if we were interested
36:50in buying one of these books
36:52for our children
36:53or grandchildren,
36:54where can we find you
36:55right here
36:55at Essence Fest 2026?
36:57Right here I have a book.
36:58It's The Feelings Therapist.
36:59You can't miss it.
37:00I believe it is
37:00the second or third row
37:02from here.
37:02We have the book
37:05Oh No, We're Moving
37:06and if you want
37:06to find us online
37:07it's thefeelingstherapist.com
37:09and we also have shirts
37:11Black and Emotionally Intelligent.
37:13All right.
37:15Let's go ahead
37:16and give Davina
37:16a round of applause.
37:18All right.
37:19You can go this way.
37:21All right.
37:21Are y'all enjoying
37:22this showcase so far?
37:24Do you have energy
37:25and engagement
37:25and excitement
37:26for one more entrepreneur
37:27to share his business
37:29with us?
37:30All right.
37:30So last but certainly
37:32not least
37:32we have another entrepreneur
37:34named Lainey Smith
37:35who is the founder
37:37and CEO
37:37of Actively Black.
37:39Let's go ahead
37:40and welcome him
37:40to the stage.
37:44All right.
37:46So you got a couple
37:47of different products
37:47right here.
37:48Yeah, I'm going to
37:49have you in there.
37:50I do.
37:50First and foremost
37:51I have to recognize
37:52the black woman
37:53that's behind
37:53Actively Black.
37:54This is my co-founder.
37:55Bianca Winslow.
37:57Y'all make sure
37:57y'all give it up for her.
37:58Oh, we already know
37:59there's a wonderful
38:00black woman
38:01behind a good
38:01black brand.
38:02You already know.
38:03But yes, I love it.
38:04So tell us a little bit
38:04about what is
38:05Actively Black.
38:06Actively Black
38:07is a premium
38:08black-owned athleisure
38:09and sportswear brand
38:10that's built
38:11with the sole purpose
38:12to uplift and reinvest
38:13back into the black community.
38:14We have these different
38:15sports apparel brands
38:16that have profited
38:17billions and billions
38:18of dollars off
38:19of black talent,
38:20black consumerism,
38:22black culture,
38:23and do not care
38:24about black people.
38:25So why not build this
38:27in something that we can own
38:29that's ours.
38:29That gives back
38:30to our community.
38:31So that's what
38:31Actively Black is about.
38:32Okay.
38:32Well, let's see.
38:33Obviously, you and Bianca,
38:35correct, are currently
38:36wearing some of your pieces.
38:38So tell us a little bit
38:39about what you actually
38:40are wearing,
38:41and then we're going
38:41to go to the table.
38:42All right.
38:42So first and foremost,
38:43we have the lovely
38:44Bianca Winslow.
38:45She's wearing our
38:45Performance Tech 2.0 hoodie
38:47with the matching biker shorts.
38:49You'll notice that
38:50all of our product
38:52is premium quality.
38:53So this is the same product
38:54that you'll get from Nike
38:55or Lululemon
38:56or anybody else,
38:57but this is black-owned.
38:58It's all made from scratch.
39:00You'll go ahead
39:00and model down this row
39:02as well so they can see.
39:03You better model that thing.
39:05We've got our Performance hats
39:08as well with our symbol logo on it.
39:11We've got our
39:12moisture-wicking shirts.
39:15Oh, I see.
39:15Hold on.
39:16Then we've got a tribe member
39:17over here wearing
39:18our greatness
39:19and our DNA shirt right here,
39:21but this one is special.
39:22I want them to know
39:23about this shirt right here.
39:24This shirt is made from cotton
39:26that's grown by black farmers.
39:28So we have a 100% cotton line
39:30that's made from cotton
39:31grown by black farmers.
39:32What's your name?
39:33What's your name?
39:34Jonathan.
39:35Jonathan?
39:35Jonathan.
39:36Jonathan is part of the tribe.
39:37Y'all give Jonathan
39:38a round of applause.
39:42Oh, he got the socks on, too.
39:43Come on, come on.
39:44Show him the socks.
39:45He got the socks on, too.
39:47That's what we're talking about.
39:47We've got Actively Black Tribe
39:48in here.
39:50Nice to meet you.
39:50Nice to meet you, man.
39:51Nice to meet you as well, man.
39:53Appreciate you being part of the tribe.
39:54And then also,
39:55we have this amazing collaboration
39:57with Cecil Williams,
39:59a civil rights activist
40:00who's famous for drinking
40:03out of the whites-only water fountain
40:04when we were not supposed
40:05to be doing that.
40:07This shirt is special
40:08because we support Cecil Williams
40:10with proceeds from the sales
40:12of this shirt go to support him,
40:14his family, and his museum
40:15in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
40:17So, yeah.
40:18All right.
40:19Can we give it up
40:19for Actively Black?
40:22Activelyblack.com.
40:23Also, we've got a booth
40:24two rows down at the very end.
40:26Y'all go get you some gear.
40:27All right.
40:27Give us one more time.
40:28What's your booth number?
40:314001.
40:31You'll see Actively Black.
40:32It's on the end over here,
40:33two rows down,
40:34and ActivelyBlack.com.
40:36All right.
40:36Thank you so much.
40:37One more time for Actively Black.
40:40All right.
40:41So, guess what, y'all?
40:42I got some good news
40:43and I got some great news.
40:44Who wants the good news first?
40:46Okay.
40:47Somebody said,
40:47I don't want the good news.
40:48I want the great news.
40:49Okay?
40:49So, the good news is
40:51the judges have come to a decision
40:53within the business pitch competition
40:55The great news is
40:57while they were deliberating,
40:58we got to hear from
40:59three fabulous founders
41:00and see their product.
41:02Can we give that up
41:03one more time for them?
41:06All right.
41:07So, we are going to
41:08initially announce
41:09the winners of the
41:10business pitch competition.
41:12Just so you are reminded,
41:14one founder is going to walk away
41:16with $10,000 today.
41:18A second founder is going to walk away
41:21with $15,000
41:22and we will have one grand prize
41:25of $25,000.
41:27So, without further ado,
41:29I'm going to welcome back
41:30the judges to the stage
41:31and we are going to announce
41:32the winners.
41:35Let's give them some love
41:36as they make their way
41:37back to the stage.
41:45All right, participants,
41:46y'all get ready,
41:47get excited.
41:53All right, let's welcome
41:54our pitch participants
41:55back up to the stage.
42:03All right, so we are going to have
42:05Luke Thompson from NVF Capital
42:08who is going to announce
42:09the winners.
42:10So, I'm going to come on over here
42:12because do you have a mic, Luke?
42:14You have one?
42:15Okay, go ahead.
42:15Knock yourself out.
42:21Can everybody hear me?
42:22There we are.
42:24Congratulations, all three of you
42:26did an amazing job.
42:29We had a tough decision.
42:31The third place winner
42:33is top tutors for us.
42:35Angelica, congratulations.
42:43Congratulations.
42:48You guys did such an amazing job.
42:51And so, the second place winner
42:53is Dr. Lana with drums.
42:58Thank you so much.
42:59You're going to be taking
43:00this one.
43:09All right, so that means
43:12the first place winner
43:14and $25,000,
43:17Lowe from Zenistry.
43:30All right, let's go ahead
43:32and give our pitch participants
43:33one more round of applause.
43:35Judges, pitch participants
43:36in the middle.
43:37We need some photos.
43:38Come on in.
43:39And as they are taking those photos,
43:41if you are a friend,
43:42a family member,
43:43come on up and get your photo
43:44as well.
43:45This is a special moment
43:46for all of us, right?
43:47Grab that photo.
43:48Grab that photo.
43:49And to our founders,
43:51congratulations again.
43:52You've inspired us.
43:54You challenged us.
43:55And you reminded us
43:56what's possible
43:57when purpose meets power.
43:59We want to give a special thank you
44:00to the New Voices Foundation,
44:02Essence Festival of Culture,
44:04presented by Coca-Cola,
44:05our judges,
44:06our coaches,
44:07and everyone who has helped
44:08make today's competition possible.
44:10And we are staying locked in
44:12and watching you
44:13as you continue
44:14to grow your business.
44:16Be sure to follow
44:17all these fabulous founders online.
44:20Visit their booth
44:20because the support
44:21doesn't stop here.
44:23Again, congratulations
44:24to all of the finalists.
44:26We celebrate you.
44:27We see you.
44:28But more importantly,
44:29enjoy the rest of your
44:30Essence Festival experience.
44:32One more time
44:33for the founders.