Several companies and ventures at different growth stages each earned multi-thousand prizes during the University of Baltimore’s recent Rise to the Challenge pitch competition.
The night’s largest prize went to Clarrissa Cozart, whose Tailored Fit won the Most Promising Business award and $15,000. Cozart’s company created a fashion line for tall boys that allows customers to shop “waist to inseam,” according to the competition’s Eventbrite page, and addresses the conundrum of taller young people frequently finding pants that fit their inseam but not their waist.
The competition was split into categories for aspiring and existing business ventures. In the former category, Jonah Willard won $2,000 for Grease Garage, a planned shared-economy car garage through which car enthusiasts can meet to work on their vehicles at their leisure. Willard also took home $1,000 for being a crowd favorite. Other competitors in this category included Ikechukwu Opaigbeogu‘s Zety Taste, which offers frozen and ready-to-eat nutritious meals for young adults; and Na’Quon Willet, who won the Dean’s Challenge Award for social impact and $5,000 for Investment Neighbor, a subscription service providing retail investors with data to help them make decisions.
