News & Events

THE BF TECHCELERATOR FALL 2020 ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF PITCH NIGHT!

LANCASTER, PA – Ben Franklin Technology Partners is pleased to announce the winners of their TechCelerator pitch competition. The pitch competition was the finale for six teams who participated in an intensive 10-week startup boot camp offered by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Our $10,000 prize pool was sponsored by BB&T now Truist, Lancaster County Community Foundation & The Candy Factory.

The winner, Sharina Johnson – Founder of MEH Support, is developing a platform to support individuals recovering from substance abuse. MEH Support took home a cash prize of $6,000.  A $4,000 second prize was awarded to Elizabeth Frandsen, the founder of Liz Riden, who is growing a sustainably sourced fashion business. Prizes were awarded by a panel of three judges including:

  • Joaquin Villarreal, Director of Entrepreneurship @ Franklin & Marshall College
  • Sarah Lesser, Market President (Lancaster/Lebanon) @ BB&T now Truist
  • Tracy Cutler, Executive Vice President @ Lancaster County Community Foundation

Below is a snapshot of all the companies that presented:

Auto Service Pro (Vince Moley) is commercializing a software platform created for the auto detailing & tinting industry to fully automate their customer management system and communications.

 B Team Sports (Chris Sciamanna) connects adults with other people in their community to play games for exercise and fun rather than a competitive league or less motivating types of exercise.

Envision Biomedical (Siddhesh Pawar) is developing material technology for contact lens manufacturers that will revolutionize the industry by improving contact lens comfort.

Liz Riden (Elizabeth Frandsen) aims to solve the fashion gap in the handmade leather goods market that are affordable, functional and made from sustainably sourced materials.

MEH (Sharina Johnson) provides those struggling with substance abuse issues a platform that increases accessibility to accountability tools and other positive support resources to help maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Resertech (Jon Shehan and Josh Lapp) has developed the Hitting Approach app for baseball coaches that want to improve and teach a data driven hitting process for their players, but can’t afford radar technology.