After months of anticipation, tonight’s the night! Join us for IMPACT Pitch 2020 tonight Thursday, October 8th at 5:45pm PST on Zoom! IMPACT Pitch is a chance for idea-phase, startup, or existing businesses with a strong business plan or idea and a focus on positively impacting their communities to win cash prizes totaling $30,000. This year we are handling judging a bit differently. Each category; Idea-phase, startup, or existing businesses will have their own talented panel of judges. Our amazing judges are esteemed business leaders in the Puget Sound community. In addition, they are long-standing supporters of small businesses here in the Northwest.
Here at Business Impact NW we are thrilled to present our outstanding panel of judges!
Meet this year’s judges:
Michael Powell
Michael Powell is a returning judge and a Senior Vice President with Harborstone Credit Union. He is a native Washingtonian with over 40 years of employment locally with financial institutions. Michael has worked with many small and medium-sized businesses as a commercial and business lender and credit administrator. This year Michael is judging in all three categories; start-up, early-stage, and established.
Scott Beckwith
Scott Beckwith is the Business Lending Lead at Harborstone Credit Union. He is a 2009 graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School. He enjoys golfing and running in addition to family time. Scott will be judging in the early stage business category.
Ilona Lohrey
Daughter of a German father and Italian mother, Ilona Lohrey immigrated to Seattle, WA from Munich, Germany in 1995. She studied Business at the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich and proceeded to work in the financial sector for 13 years, most recently as a Business Banking Manager in the Seattle Metropolitan area. Ilona comes from a family of hard-working entrepreneurs so she has a passion for small business owners and learning about their reasons and motivation to be self-employed. As a result of Ilona’s love for the nonprofit world, passion for social justice and small businesses she was brought to GSBA where she is the VP of Membership & Programs. Ilona enjoys supporting small business owners through education, resources and programs so she is thrilled to join us as a judge tonight. Ilona will be judging in the early stage business category.
Ming Ming Tung-Edelman
Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman is an immigrant from Taiwan and the founder of the Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI), whose mission is to empower refugee and immigrant women to become self-reliant artisans. RAI combines Ming-Ming’s background as an immigrant, her compassion as a healthcare provider, and her love for fashion. Ming will be judging in the established business category.
Loren Kite
Loren Kite (he/him) is the Owner and Program Director of Kids Carpentry Seattle. He works there enthusiastically with families, educators, and community members to bring his passion for woodworking to children of all ages. Kite was the recipient of the 2019 IMPACT Pitch grand prize for best established business so he is very excited to be a part of this year’s judging panel. However, this year Kite will be on the other side of the pitch table as a judge in the startup business category.
Casey Hubbell
Casey Hubbell is the co-founder of Yoga Wild, a yoga company based out of Tacoma, WA. She is passionate about creating inclusion, accessibility, and activism in the yoga industry–a mission more important now than ever before. This year Casey will lend her expertise as an IMPACT Pitch winner by serving as a judge in the early stage business category.
Taylor Hoang
Taylor Hoang is the owner and operator of Taylor Hoang Restaurant, Pho Cyclo Cafe, and District One Saigon. She is an entrepreneur and a well-respected civic leader. Tonight Taylor will be judging in the established business category.
B.J. Stewart
B.J. serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Urban Impact, a Seattle-based nonprofit that aims to end the cycle of poverty. As COO and leader of Urban Impact’s economic development efforts to support entrepreneurs from Seattle’s under-resourced communities B.J. is a dedicated and demonstrated advocate for economic justice in the Seattle community. Prior to joining Urban Impact, B.J. spent 10 years as an Arby’s Restaurant franchisee and owned a staffing agency. With an MBA from the University of Colorado, a B.A. in Accounting & Finance from Michigan State University, and more than 10 years in consulting/public accounting with Price Waterhouse Cooper, B.J. brings a depth of experience to the judging table. This year B.J. will be joining us as a judge in the Startup business category.
IMPACT Pitch would not be possible without the support of our amazing judges who volunteer their time for this inspirational event so thank you!
This year YOU also have the chance to be a judge. Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, Harborstone Credit Union, this year we have added a $1,000 prize for the Audience Favorite Video Award. Now you get to be the judge. Check out the marketing videos created by each of our finalists and cast your vote for your favorite video. Voting ends tonight so be sure to get your last vote in!
To see all these incredible business leaders and advocates in action join us tonight for IMPACT Pitch 2020! It’s not too late to get your FREE ticket for the event! Register here.
About the author
Madeline Nicholson
Madeline Nicholson is the Grants & Giving Manager at Business Impact NW. Prior to joining Business Impact NW, Madeline served as the Development and Communications Assistant at Inside Out Youth Services. Madeline began her career in Museum Education at the Fine Arts Center of Colorado Springs where she worked for three years as an in-gallery museum educator. Her passion for working with diverse communities brought her from the museum to the nonprofit sector to work in Development. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Colorado College. Madeline brings a commitment to social justice and experience cultivating relationships with individual donors. Madeline enjoys hiking, yoga, making ceramic pottery, and baking bread.