2 startups win Collision Pitch Competition

MIDDLETOWN — The MEWS+ Entrepreneurial Community, sponsor of the Collision Pitch Competition that brings together Connecticut startups to compete for attention, traction and prizes, crowned two firstplace winners in its latest pitch competition Oct. 28.

An “ultra-sustainable” cosmetics brand run by a Yale graduate, and an agency that helps older people with tasks around their homes, came in tops in the competition, according to the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce.

During the virtual contest, each startup presented a prepared video pitch, and answered questions from the audience, according to a press release. Following that, audience members rated the business concepts based on the Collision evaluation qualities — originality, potential, functionality and social impact — voting live through an online portal.

Grantas Cosmetics, a brand that makes makeup in completely biodegradable packaging, sells all-natural and ethically sourced products. Owner Lillian Childress is passionate about making the beauty industry more sustainable, equitable and transparent, according to her website.

After graduating from Yale with a degree in environmental engineering, Childress led research and development at an Israeli renewable energy startup, where she developed a toilet that transforms waste into renewable cooking gas, according to her website. The toilet is now used everywhere from eco-villages in Florida to a UN Humanitarian Response Depot base.

In late 2018, Childress was searching for cosmetics products with biodegradable packaging to buy, however, she found very few options that did not contain plastic, her site said. While completing her master’s degree in industrial ecology and green chemistry at the Yale School of the Environment, she launched a Kickstarter campaign for plastic-free cosmetics.

UR Community Cares launched its website in June 2019 to serve every town in Connecticut as a digital link between community members (age 70 and up or 18 and over with a physical disability) and inter-generational volunteers (ages 15 and up) who deliver help to the home at no cost, the website says.

Michelle Puzzo and M.D. Birmingham founded the Manchester company in 2019 after they collaborated to improve community connections. “They recognized the challenges that older adults face when beginning to experience declining physical and cognitive abilities, and decided to take action. They built the digital platform as a way to match those in need with those in the same community who are eager to help,” according to their website.

The competition, a strategic initiative of The MEWS+, is where bold ideas represent their industry and compete to win votes from the audience, according to the Chamber. Each idea is evaluated on originality, potential, functionality and social impact — and has the opportunity to walk away with cash prizes.

The MEWS+ fosters a culture of innovative entrepreneurship through high-quality services, affordable workspace, and the connections required to catalyze the entrepreneurial, startup, and small business communities in Middletown and Middlesex County.

For details, visit themewsplus.com.

The virtual pitch was recorded and can be watched on The MEWS+ channel at youtube.com. For information, visit grantas.co and urcommunitycares.co.

Contributed photo / Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce UR Community Cares founders M.D. Birmingham and Michelle Puzzo were among two winning businesses in Middletown’s recent Collision Pitch Competition.