Two startups were named the competition winners at Pitch HearstLab Atlanta, HearstLab’s pitch event for early stage, women-led technology startups. Five companies were selected as the finalists to present in-person at Google on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
Each founder pitched to a live audience and a panel of expert judges, including Eve Burton, Hearst EVP and HearstLab Chairwoman, Lisa Butters, SVP of Strategic Partnerships & Emerging Business, CAMP, and Shila Nieves Burney, founder and managing partner, Zane Venture Fund.
The event included a fireside panel discussion with Monica Delores Hooks, CXO, Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs at Rice University, Tara Seppa, National Director, Startups & Digital Native Growth, Google, Tamara Nelson, CEO and co-founder of HearstLab portfolio company, Barometer that was moderated by Kelli Dakake, VP of Engagement & Retention, Hearst Newspapers.
The event’s winners were as follows: Croux, founded by Jennifer Ryan, a temporary staffing solution for low income individuals and Zinnia, founded by Lauren Goodell, an AI co-pilot for sales representatives.
"We’re very excited to work with HearstLab and the entire team because they come with so much industry expertise and work with brands we know Zinnia can help, partner with, and learn from,” said Lauren Goodell, founder and CEO of Zinnia.
"Investment from HearstLab and Hearst is validation that we’re not only doing something meaningful but also game changing,” said Jennifer Ryan, founder and CEO of Croux. “We’re excited to have access to the HearstLab community who will be advocates, sponsors, mentors and will help us figure out which armor to put on as we navigate what comes next.”
Pitch HearstLab is the world’s largest pitch event for women-led startups, dedicated to funding high-growth B2B(2C) ventures in the U.S. and select international markets. With events held in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and London, HearstLab has invested in 14 early-stage startups through this series and 70+ women-led startups overall, now valued, in aggregrate, at over $2.4 billion. The competition aims to close the venture funding gap for women, who currently receive just 2% of all venture capital funding, despite the growing number of female entrepreneurs.
“It feels meaningful to be in Atlanta for our tenth pitch competition, witnessing first hand the growth and fruition of this startup ecosystem because Atlanta is where I had a personal and professional beginning of my very own,” said Eve Burton, HearstLab Chairwoman and Hearst EVP, in her opening remarks. “No startup succeeds on its own. The best ideas will never turn into the next best company without funding, without networks, and without the time and passion of the founders who brave this journey and the people who support them along the way.”
"This is the tenth pitch event we’ve hosted and we were thrilled to bring it to Atlanta—a thriving and collaborative startup ecosystem that knows it takes a village for a startup to succeed. We can’t wait to start working with Jennifer and Lauren and bring them into not only the HearstLab community but also the greater Hearst network to scale and grow their businesses," said Eastin Rossell, HearstLab Venture Director.
Beyond pitch events, female founders can apply for HearstLab investment anytime (ranging from $500K to $1M+ checks) throughout the year.
The event was sponsored by Milan Laser and co-hosted with Google.
For more information, visit the HearstLab website, follow HearstLab on LinkedIn, and subscribe to the newsletter.
About Croux
Croux connects trusted talent with flexible work opportunities in the hospitality industry. Croux empowers talent to maximize their earning potential while helping businesses run fully staffed and at top speed. For more information, visit https://www.croux.co/
About Zinnia
Zinnia is an AI co-pilot that helps sales executives close more deals in less time with detailed customer insights, tailored sales strategies, and personalized prospect messaging. For more information, visit https://www.getzinnia.ai/
About HearstLab
HearstLab provides cash investments and services to early-stage, women-led startups across sectors like fintech, data analytics, health, and enterprise technology. Its mission is to close the gap in venture capital funding for women by helping founders build sustainable, scalable businesses. To learn more about HearstLab, visit HearstLab.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
