LATINX Launchpad Startup Pitch Competition Attracts Top Latina Talent

Hispanics in Philanthropy Strengthens Pipeline of Latinx Startups at SOCAP Global Conference

Oakland, CA — This Tuesday, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) hosted a Latinas Who Lead edition of LATINX Launchpad startup pitch competition series at SOCAP Global, the leading gathering for impact investors and social entrepreneurs. The all-Latina slate of early-stage startup founders had the opportunity to pitch their ventures to a panel of Latina judges including Christa Velasquez, Director at Lumina Impact Ventures, Jenny Flores, Head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy at Wells Fargo, and Cheryl Campos, Head of Venture Growth & Partnerships at Republic. 

“These founders proudly delivered their message on stage. They are talented, innovative, and have the uncommon will to achieve their vision. It is not surprising that Latinas, who have long been leaders in our communities, are also at the forefront of shaping the next startup economy. We look forward to continuing to support and amplify these seven finalists, as well as other Latina founders and Latinx entrepreneurs, through our wealth generation initiatives and programs,” stated Jorge Calderon, Managing Director, Impact Investments, HIP. 

Menstrual Mates LLC, led by co-founders Cindy Belardo, CEO, and Drew Jarvis, CMO, won the first place  $15K award. The startup developed a full circle approach to periods that include menstrual care products, progressive period education, and global give-back initiatives. 

LingoHealth led by Yaritza Vargas and Jessica Chao secured the second-place award of $10K. Created to provide better care for multilingual, multicultural families, this digital platform works to redefine how immigrant patients engage in care. 

Peace of Mind Monitor referred to as POMM, is an emergency safety platform designed and developed by Pink Lotus Technologies, Inc. The startup led by Maryann Kilgallon won the third-place award of $5K. 

GreetHer, led by Vanessa Karel secured the audience-choice award of $5K for its platform that safely connects female travelers to local women wherever they go. 

Additional startup finalists included Bilingüe, a multilingual learning EdTech app, DealEngine, a data-driven equity crowdfunding platform, and Calibueno, an ecosystem of people, plants, brands, and businesses that spread wellness and foster a diverse cannabis industry.

The event forms part of Hispanics in Philanthropy’s larger effort to increase Latinx participation in the startup economy in order to build wealth in Latinx communities across the United States. More information about the ongoing seriesof theme-based Latinx-led startup pitch competitions for startups can be found at https://www.latinxlaunchpad.org/.