The Downtown Long Beach (DTLB) Alliance, in partnership with the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at CSULB, recently presented grants to the winners of the 10th anniversary edition of PitchFest, a contest between entrepreneurs seeking to bring their small business concepts to fruition.
PitchFest contestants presented their ideas to a panel of local economic leaders after they completed the seven-week Education Series for Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses. “The ultimate goal of PitchFest is to win funds, but in the process it helps entrepreneurs synthesize their idea and put it into a format in which they can promote and share it,” said Stephanie El Tawil, DTLB Alliance’s Economic Development & Policy Manager.
PitchFest was sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank. “The winners stood out because they demonstrated not only strong business concepts, but also that they had already taken concrete steps to put their plans into action and were truly ready to grow,” said Julie Tomanpos, PitchFest judge and Wells Fargo Assistant Vice President for Community & Philanthropy Impact.
The first place prize of $4,000 went to Allyson Clark, CEO of Plaid Safety, her environmental health and safety consulting company. Plaid Safety offers monthly subscriptions to businesses to help keep them in compliance with safety regulations.
“The general industrial permit is two hundred pages long. All industrial facilities have to comply with it,” explained Clark, a CSULB grad who holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s in industrial hygiene. “Requirements today are very detailed and specific, and many companies are struggling with this. In California, a company can get fined $15,000 for not submitting an environmental impact report.
“I want to make sure they stay in business and stay compliant with the laws. I want to make it easy for them,” Clark continued. “If they can put it in my hands and rest soundly at night knowing they’re being taken care of, I’ve done my job successfully.”
Second place was a tie between Upgraded, a subscription-based web platform that helps students search, compare, and select colleges, and Sonar Conventions, an app that connects convention attendees with vendors and each other. Each second place winner received $3,000.
Upgraded is a partnership between two CSULB students, Chief Technical Officer Ulises Velasco and Chief Executive Officer Allison Tan. Velasco is a biomedical engineering student. Tan is an economics major who is minoring in entrepreneurship. “Our aim is to provide real insights that aren’t just perfect PR paid for by a university. We want students to know what it’s like to go to a school on a day-to-day basis,” said Tan.
“I want future college students to be excited about the college process,” added Velasco. “I want our app to be ‘cool’ and spread fast through word of mouth. Hopefully it will empower students and help upgrade their futures.”
Sonar Conventions co-founder Jonathan Cantlo has over 15 years of private event experience under his belt. His partner Manisha Merchant is an attorney. Together they’ve created a convenient way for convention vendors and attendees to speak to the exact people they need to connect with.
“We get to guide people from the convention floor to the cash register,” said Cantlo. “We’re looking to get in touch with leaders within the city, especially within the convention space. Based on this pitch alone, we already have some introductions coming in. The money really helps, of course, but more than anything else it’s the networking aspect that’s been awarded to us.”
Mana Outpost, an immersive cosplay community space, won the audience vote for Fan Favorite at Pitchfest. Founder Day Daniel, a first-year grad student at CSULB, received a $100 gift card. “The experience and confidence I gained by winning Fan Favorite are invaluable tools going forward,” Daniel said.
If you’re a small business entrepreneur looking to grow your company, consider enrolling in next year’s Education Series and competing at PitchFest 2027. It may be the perfect jump-start for your success. Learn more about the DTLB Alliance’s Education Series here.