Mary Grace Stocker, who is trying to start a business known as EMCI to personalize city attractions, presents her plan during the 48Hour Launch Chattanooga event. 48Hour Launch took place Sunday afternoon at Church on the Main. Teams had 48 hours to create a business model and showcase it in front of a crowd and a panel of judges.A monthly gift subscription service for mothers and a web site devoted to women who drink whiskey were picked as the winners of the first Female Founders 48Hour Launch tonight.
The two startup ventures may not share much in common, but they will share in $10,000 of prizes and business donations to help turn their ideas into workable businesses. They were picked from among nine business ideas pitched by female entrepreneurs following a frenzied weekend of web, brand and product development. Other business ideas pitched this weekend ranged from a new organic lipstick to a mobile phone app for prayer time.
"Each of these ideas has a great potential and we hope you'll keep working on them," said Pamela Dubin-Beaty of Philanthropy Concierge, one of five judges who reviewed the business proposals. "These (winners) were the most developed plans."
Hosted by the Company Lab, 48Hour Launch is designed to help entrepreneurs turn ideas into business plans in just a weekend. This weekend was the fifth such 48Hour Launch in Chattanooga but the first devoted to female founders.
The Whiskey Women, pitched by Ashley Danford, is a web site that "empowers women to drink whiskey and inform and educate on all things the spirit has to offer."
Moma's Got Mail, created by Shannon Rinckey, a mother of four, will deliver "fun, thoughtful surprises to moms once a month."