UrbanGeekz Wins PUSH Tech 2020 Think Tank Pitch Competition

UrbanGeekz has just won the top prize in the PUSHTech 2020 Think Tank Pitch Contest. The digital news platform was selected by an esteemed panel of judges to win a cash prize of $5,000.

Facilitated by serial entrepreneur Joe Dudley, Jr., the competition gave five innovative early stage tech startups the chance to pitch their company to a panel of investors, business experts, and seasoned entrepreneurs. Participants were chosen to present from a pool of applicants.

“I think it’s amazing to give entrepreneurs a chance to tell their story and receive feedback on how complete their story is,” said Dudley, Jr. in an interview with UrbanGeekz. “You’re not in it alone, there are other people who are willing to grow and develop with you.”

Each of the finalists was allocated five minutes to pitch their idea on stage. This was followed by probing questions from the judges, along with the chance for contestants to get feedback.

First Pitch Contest for UrbanGeekz

“This is the very first pitch contest we’ve entered so we’re honored to have won, especially given the number of high-caliber startups competing in this event,” said Kunbi Tinuoye, founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz, who presented the pitch. “More than anything this win validates our brand and business idea. We plan to use the winnings to scale our content and fine-tune our platform.”

UrbanGeekz CEO Kunbi Tinuoye with Rev. Jesse Jackson on day-two of the 17th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference

The event took place on Thursday at Atlanta’s Morehouse College. This year’s judges included former CEO and Georgia Tech professor Dr. Merrick Furst, medical practitioner Dr. Stephen Keith, chemical engineer and inventor Dr. Thomas Mensah, Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch Maurice Coleman, and community banking District Manager Christopher Stubbs.

The pitch competition featured a range of startups created by diverse founders at different stages of development. The second place finisher was MyPLEDGER, an online company offering a new and streamlined way to donate and fundraise.  The Releaf Group, a consulting firm that specializes in agriculture, technology, and business development in Africa, won third place.

The PUSHTech 2020 Think Tank Pitch Competition is one of the signature events at the 17th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference. The three-day summit, put together by Rev. Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, (RPC) focuses on diversity, technology, innovation, and inclusion. This year’s theme was “Converting Opportunity to Wealth in Our Community.”

The first day of the convention took place at Morehouse College and featured an array of events including seminars, lectures, and panel discussions. The remaining days were at downtown Atlanta’s Hyatt Regency.

Photo Credit: UrbanGeekz’s Taylor Danielle and Jerome Dorn of InDaHouseMedia

Videographer: Taylor Danielle