The Jacksonville Venture Competition (JVC) is a live pitch competition and conference with the mission of developing a world-class startup community in Jacksonville. Chang Industrial had the honor of serving as a sponsor for the 2023 event on March 7-8th. We've included highlights from each segment of the event below: thought leadership, live pitch competition, and happy hours. The content from the 2023 event can be found at JVC2023.com.
Thought Leadership
Thought leaders from around the globe were featured in Ted Talk-style presentations on entrepreneurship, startups, finance, community building, venture fundraising, and more.
Theme Segments
The Mandate, Community Builders, Venture Fundraising, The Harvest, The Future of Living and Working, Tomorrow's Infrastructure, and Fundraising Road.
Topics
Community Vision, Resiliency and Reliability, Bridging the Gap in Northeast Florida, Bridges Take Time, Leveling the Playing Field, Inspired by Faith, Strategies from Research Perspectives, Women in Venture, Fundraising During Turbulent Times, Case Studies by the Investment Committee, Construction, Smart City, Access to Capital and P3 Finance, and Scaling a Software Company.
Speakers
Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Jim Stallings, John Schultz, Dr. Carlton Robinson, Ron Armstrong, Dr. Nahshon Nicks, Dr. Tammie McClafferty, Dr. Jim Simak, Dr. Julie Iarossi, Janet Wylie, Debbie Buckland, Trish Skoglund, Dr. Don Capener, Charlie Banks, Paul Clark, Timothy Papandreou, Cutler Knupp, Clayton Levins, Jessica Evans, Kelly Dyer, Tony Boselli, Gwen Griggs, Matthew Chang, and Timothy Gibbons.
Go to JVC2023.com to rewatch content from these thought leaders at JVC!
Live Pitch Competition
This pitch competition was a Shark Tank-style segment where VentureSouth, one of the country’s largest early-stage investment firms and headline sponsor of JVC, provided a platform for five companies to pitch their ideas live and secure funding during the event.
Introduction
Tony Boselli introduced the pitch competition and encouraged the Jacksonville entrepreneurs to join in the mission of developing a world-class startup community in the city.
Judges
Competitors
6AM City, based in Greenville, SC, is a digital media company that provides hyper-local news and events coverage in six Southeastern cities. Pitch presented by Ryan Heafy.
Iconic Moments, based in Chattanooga, TN, brings together cultural institutions, digital artists, and Web3 technology to bring art into life. Pitch presented by Chris Cummings.
Blue Vigil, based in Jacksonville, FL, specializes in the design and manufacture of tethered drone power systems for industrial and military applications. Pitch presented by Robert Schumann.
Archer First Response, also based in Jacksonville, FL, provides medical transportation services for critically ill and injured patients using advanced technology and medical equipment. Pitch presented by Gordon Folkes.
Operade, based in Jacksonville, FL, is a company producing scientifically-advanced preoperative beverages that aim to drive better outcomes for patients and medical providers. Pitch presented by Dr. Keya Locke.
Post-Pitch Interview
Gwen Griggs hosted a post-pitch interview with the competitors while the judges deliberated.
Winner
Operade was selected as the crowd favorite and the judges' pick for investment. Congratulations to Dr. Keya Locke, Dr. John Catanzaro, and the Operade team!
Go to JVC2023.com to rewatch the live pitch competition!
Happy Hours
Day 1 Happy Hour
The happy hour for Day 1 of JVC, March 7th, was sponsored by Dysruptek, a Haskell Venture.
Day 2 Happy Hour
The happy hour for Day 2 of JVC, March 8th, was sponsored by Bootleg Advisors with drinks provided by Manifest Distilling.
The Jacksonville Venture Competition will be back in 2024 to continue in its mission to develop a world-class startup ecosystem in Jacksonville. Hope to see you there! Follow JVC on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay up to date with all things JVC!
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