Entrepreneurs bringing technology innovation to Florida’s lucrative real estate market were the big winners in the 24th annual Miami Herald Startup Pitch Competition.
Lien Library, an online platform for homebuyers and sellers to find property liens before closing on a home sale contract, won the general community track of early-stage company participants based in South Florida. Macduer “Mac” Alabre started the firm.
Meanwhile, Tennts, which makes property management software, topped the Florida International University track for university students, faculty and alumni. Yari Carrizo, Daniel Detoni, Erick Sasse and Felipe Hufstatter launched the company.
The founders of Lien Library and Tennts, along with two runners-up each from the community and FIU categories, were honored Friday evening in an awards ceremony at FIU business school’s special events center. The Herald’s startup pitch contest is the region’s oldest entrepreneurship challenge.
The 2023 winners emerged from a field of 50 entrants from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, who were narrowed to 10 finalists each in the two tracks. The finalists pitched their respective business plans to expert panels of judges Friday at FIU, prior to the awards ceremony.
The Miami chapter of Endeavor, a global business mentoring group, managed the community track for the Herald, coaching the category finalists and coordinating the selection of judges that observed the presentations at the pitchathon.
FIU, a longtime Herald partner in the contest, handled the university’s track, including selecting a separate panel of judges. No Herald journalists or executives were involved in judging the entrepreneurs’ business pitches or selecting the winners.
“As a property manager in Miami for about seven years now, I’ve felt the pains and I wanted to make something that would help other property managers and other landlords have a smooth operation,” said Tennts’ co-founder Carrizo, in a fireside conversation on stage during the awards ceremony with Miami Herald Business Editor Paul Bomberger, after her company was announced top winner of the FIU track.
Alabre, Lien Library’s CEO and founder, who joined Carrizo in the winners’ fireside chat, revved up the audience of about 100 people by saluting his business mentor Bob Nelson, co-founder of the nonprofit Venture Mentoring Team in Miami, and offering an inspirational message.
“I hope I can inspire other people that look like me or people who just want to take a chance on themselves,” said Alabre, who is Black and a Haiti native. “Once you take a chance on yourself, there are other people who are going to bet on you.”
Founders of the two runners-up startups in each contest division also were recognized at the awards ceremony. This was the first time the competition and awards showcase were held in person, since the coronavirus pandemic emerged in spring 2020.
▪ In the community track, Nala, the creator of a software-as-a-service platform that helps corporate executives manage talent retention, took second place. EVQLV, a firm using artificial intelligence to improve antibody discovery and development for biopharmaceutical firms, won third place.
▪ In the FIU division, Charitable Donations, operator of a digital platform for donors, nonprofits and corporations, finished in second place. FitLove, developer of an app to connect fitness enthusiasts and help them build relationships as a workout buddy or something romantic, took third place.
Friday’s awards ceremony kicked off with remarks from Alex Mena, the Miami Herald’s interim executive editor and a graduate of FIU. He was followed by George M. Marakas, FIU’s associate dean for research and a business professor, who delivered an uplifting message about the startup pitch competition and entrepreneurialism. Bomberger, the Herald’s business editor, announced the six winners, presented them with trophies and led the fireside chats with the top winners and a few of the judges from the two tracks.
Victors of the Herald’s 2022 startup competition — Boxie’s Lemay Sanchez, FIU track winner, and Storybook’s Francisco Cornejo, winner of the community track — also spoke briefly, updating the business growth their respective companies made last year.
Accomplished Miami banking and communications executive Aida Levitan, recently retired chair of the board of U.S. Century Bank, was among the Herald’s special guests at the awards ceremony.
Johanna Mikkola, one of the community track judges and vice president of the coding and computer tech training school BrainStation Miami, said during a fireside chat in the awards ceremony that she’s been personally pitching or judging startup pitch competitions for a decade.
Comparing the lackluster presentations she recalled hearing 10 years ago, to the startup pitches she heard Friday at the Herald’s competition, Mikkola said, “Now, everybody was flawless. It was excellent, really inspiring.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2023 1:04 PM.