The Pitch

Jennifer Brandel of Hearken is pitching a new kind of business. She calls it a zebra: a company that’s driven by a mission — but still wants to make money. And Jennifer’s mission with Hearken is to help journalists do their jobs better. But can she and the investors get on the same page?  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Phil Nadel, Michael Hyatt and Sarah Downey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rama Poola is here pitching his airline ticket business, SkyHi, where customers pay a monthly fee to access tickets on the cheap. But the investors are worried that it sounds a lot like MoviePass, a company that offered a subscription for unlimited movie tickets — and ran into a world of problems. Can Rama convince them that his model won’t break the bank?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Sheel Mohnot, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ryan Husk wants to take your workplace culture up a notch. His startup, Culture Force, matches companies to “experiences” designed to improve community at work. He says it can be a huge business, but the investors want to know why it’s more than just a cool way to plan work parties.  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Phil Nadel and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chelsea Brownridge wants to help dog owners keep their pooches safe when they’re out running errands together. Her startup, DogSpot, makes internet-connected dog houses, with features like webcams and A/C, and puts them in front of retail stores that don’t allow pets. Can Chelsea convince our investors that her dog houses are a must-have?  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Phil Nadel and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After losing his shirt on sports betting sites DraftKings and FanDuel, Adam Weinstein decided to flip the script on daily fantasy sports and give everyone a better shot at winning. He’s changing things up using prop bets instead of traditional fantasy teams. But the question remains: Is this a gamble investors are willing to take?  Today's investors are Sarah Downey, Michael Hyatt, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a failed pitch on our show back in 2017, Industrial Organic founder Amanda Weeks was ready for redemption. And she found it, to the tune of $4.2 million. Now she’s back — with a lot to say about how much she and her business have grown.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman, Howie Diamond and Sheel Mohnot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zahra Kassam has been on the road in a major way, pitching her startup, Monti Kids. A few months before our show, she pitched on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Today we find out: Did she win over any investors in her two very public pitches? And how do our investors compare to pitching the sharks?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Sheel Mohnot, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Impallomeni is here to pitch Tribe XR, a VR app that teaches people to DJ. He’s got a vision for using virtual reality to teach creative skills — but the investors are skeptical. Can Tom convince them he’s putting the right spin on VR?  Today's investors are Sarah Downey, Michael Hyatt, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Debbie Wei Mullin is pitching her pour-over Vietnamese coffee startup, Copper Cow Coffee. The company is already doing well on Walmart’s shelves. But does she have what it takes to take the brand online?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a frustrating round of fundraising for her company PopCom, Dawn Dickson decided that VC was broken. She opted to take a different route: an initial coin offering, or ICO. But then her best-laid plans got all mucked up ... by Uncle Sam.  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, The Pitch is live from The Wharton School at the University of Philadelphia. Three of Philly’s most promising young startups take the stage in front of Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus and a packed house for a live pitch competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in 2016, Sudden Coffee founders Joshua Zloof and Kalle Freese tried to sell the investors on their premium instant coffee. Two years later, we checked back in with Joshua and found that Sudden Coffee is still working out some kinks in the business: trying to find the right customers and nailing the flavor.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susan Sierota wants to help dog owners keep their furry friends healthy with her pet-tech startup, Waggit. Can she convince the four investors that her smart collar will win best in show?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Founder Paul Kesserwani says we’re all losing way too much money to fees — credit card fees, bank fees, ATM fees. And he thinks his company, Cushion, has the answer: A friendly bot that will battle those fees for you. Can he convince investors that there’s major money to be made in the fee-fighting business?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why should you care about blockchain if you’re not a huge cryptocurrency nerd? Bandwagon founder Harold Hughes says it can help you score better seats to see your favorite team — and avoid the risk of walking up to the gate with a fake ticket. Can he convince investors his startup isn’t just a part of the blockchain bubble?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Blake Sorensen has a deathly nut allergy — one that's led to some harrowing trips to the ER. But then he decided that enough was enough. So he started a company, Blake’s Seed Based, to make snacks safe for people like him. Will the investors get on board with his mission?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Atomos co-founders Vanessa Clark and William Kowalski want to build a nuclear-powered spacecraft for moving satellites around in orbit. Can they capitalize on all the new money flowing into the final frontier — or will their sci-fi ambitions be too much for investors to stomach?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The college dropout rate is high, and schools are paying the price... to the tune of billions of dollars every year. Marquett Burton says his education startup can help solve the problem. Will the investors agree?  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Somewear founder James Kubik thinks going off the grid shouldn’t have to mean going out of cell phone range. That’s why he created a device that turns smartphones into satellite communication hubs. Can he convince investors to join him on the trail?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sophia Dominguez is on the show pitching SVRF, an augmented reality/virtual reality startup. But it can be tough to get investors excited about VR, which has attracted tons of hype—without much payoff. Can Sophia convince investors that VR’s time has finally come?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices