INAUGURAL PITCH OFF RECAP
The inaugural Yale Angels Pitch Off occurred virtually on February 23, 2021, and focused on historically under-represented founders in the Yale community. The event was sponsored by the Yale Office of Development and DLA Piper.
WINNER & FINALISTS
WINNER ($5,000 prize):
RxAll - Adebayo Alonge (SOM)
FINALISTS:
Thermaband - Markea Dickinson (SOM)
Creci - Andres Idarraga (YLS)
Drip - Javaughn Lawrence (YC)
JUDGES
Our judges reflected both diversity and outstanding acumen. They included:
Jen L. Wong '96, COO of Reddit
Aike (fka Tiffany) Ho '12, Principal at ACME Capital
Jacob Mullins '05, Co-Founding Board Member of LatinxVC and Managing Director at Shasta Ventures
Kathryn Finney '00 MPH, CEO, Genius Guild and General Partner, Greenhouse Fund
YALE ALUMNI THAT MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE
Six seasoned Yale alumni investors helped us cull submissions, provide independent review and minimize bias in the process:
Fredua Akosa (MPH)
Donna Lecky (SOM)
Kodjo Adovor (SOM)
Chris Hill (YC)
Rebecca Liu-Doyle (YC)
Charlotte Ross (YC)
Three Yale alumni stepped forward to offer valuable pro bono assistance to the five finalists. They included:
Michael Lewittes (YC), an SEO expert
Laura Brennan (YC), pitch coach
Adam Brenner (YC), of DLA Piper, venture lawyer
SPONSORS
This event was sponsored by the Yale Office of Development and DLA Piper. This competition was co-sponsored by the Yale Black Alumni Association (YBAA), Yale Latino Alumni Network (YLAN), Association of Asian American Yale Alumni (AAAYA), Yale GALA -Yale University Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans Alumni Network, YaleWomen, and 1stGenYale.
WATCH THE EVENT REPLAY
The event replay can be viewed on the Accelerate Yale YouTube channel here.