The Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship (IJ Clinic) is proud to announce the finalists who will pitch their innovative businesses to a crowd of 250 at South Side Pitch 2019 on Thursday, October 10. The IJ Clinic started hosting South Side Pitch in 2014 to shine a light on the entrepreneurial energy of Chicago’s South Side. This year, the competition received more than 100 applications. The six finalists below will compete for a shot at $11,000 in cash prizes and a year of membership to the Polsky Exchange in Hyde Park.
- Wash on Wheels
Full-service, mobile, waterless car wash.
- Dinobi Detergent LLC
100% plant-based laundry detergent for both sensitive and non-sensitive skin.
- Truckies
Software management and navigation tool for truckers looking for safe, reliable parking rest areas.
- Chicago Birthworks Collective
Group of black birthworkers (doula) who provide comprehensive non-medical reproductive care from preconception to postpartum for people of color.
- Coffee Pops
On-the-go coffee made up of concentrated coffee formed in a dough ball with honey.
- Strength Together
Mental health app for high school students that utilizes machine learning and AI.
“Every year we are amazed at the innovative business ideas that are presented at South Side Pitch,” said Beth Kregor, the director of the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago. “The applications from energetic and entrepreneurial South Siders were so strong this year that we will mark six years of South Side Pitch with six finalists. The competition is open to the public and the press and is a great opportunity to witness a different side of the South Side.”
Kristina Covarrubias, founder of Truckies, said, “I have lived in the South Sideof Chicago for many years. The South Side has more than just violence, we have entrepreneurs, bright leaders and fantastic youth and businesses. We thrive when we stand together.”
South Side Pitch is hosted by the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship. The contest is sponsored by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement.
The Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship provides free legal assistance, access to resources and advocacy for low income Chicago entrepreneurs. To learn more about the IJ Clinic, visit www.ij.org/clinic.
South Side Pitch is free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.southsidepitch.com.