Scenes from last night’s ImpactU Demo Day event

Last night, six businesses from Queen City Forward’s ImpactU Program (summer accelerator program for college-aged entrepreneurs) pitched to a live audience at UNCC Center City. Pitches lasted five minutes each.

Who was there?

Mayor Dan Clodfelter gave the opening address and Hannah Levinson (Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Davidson) was the MC.

I give Clodfelter a strong B+ on his opening speech and Hannah an A on her MCing. Oh, and there was a live llama at the event. For real (although the llama only attended the pre-event mingle session, not the entire event).

Squad. #ImpactU #DemoDay

A photo posted by Queen City Forward (@qcforward) on

What is Queen City Forward?

A non-profit working to “build the social entrepreneurship community in Charlotte, N.C., by empowering enterprises that are on the cutting edge of innovation to meet their goals of positively impacting people and the planet. Queen City Forward envisions a transformation across the region, where a world-class cluster of creative minds is scaling for-profit companies and non-profit enterprises that are not only contributing thousands of jobs to the economy but are contributing in meaningful and measurable ways to improving the local and global community.”

The people behind the scenes are Charles Thomas (Executive Director), Christie Kahil (Programs and Resource Manager) and Tori Karlek (Program Coordinator).

What were the six businesses and who are the entrepreneurs?

UChef  – Mary Guin

“UChef is feeding the inner chefs of serious home cooks who want to know the whys and hows of cooking. So much more than a box full of paint by number recipes, UChef offers a new monthly experience that empowers home cooks to think outside the recipe box. Each month, UChef members receive a complete lesson plan and unique ingredients centered on the same principles taught in culinary schools such as fresh pasta making, soups and stocks, artisan breads and more.”

Vuepeer – Alex Smolen

“We at Vuepeer understand that one of the largest problems challenging the Sharing Economy is trust during the transaction. As a solution, we are developing a platform that displays a user’s ratings, reviews and listings from different Sharing Economy marketplaces. This gives users a way to receive credit for all of their hard-earned reputations hard earned. We strongly believe that our efforts will effectively increase trust and transactions in the Sharing Economy.”

Terraoak – Max Chinnah & Godwin Attigah

“Terraoak, is geared toward providing clean and renewable energy solutions to the energy crisis problems in the world. We have developed a fully solar powered cooker that also stores additional power in a battery, allowing the cooker to be used at any time, unlike current solar cookers available.”

Wiphala – Jared Burris & Peter Rossi

“Wiphala develops and manufactures llama fleece based insulation. We sell this to apparel and bedding brands, retailers and manufacturers. The resulting insulation is high performing, sustainable and socially responsible. Wiphala insulation has a larger comfort range than down/synthetics and wicks moisture away from your skin due to the fiber’s hollow core construction.”

The Learning Tree – Megan McLean

“The Learning Tree Tutorial and Enrichment Program’s purpose is to serve the public good by providing reduced cost or free academic tutorial services to at risk students in grades 1-9 who are from families of low-income, culturally diverse backgrounds who might not otherwise afford or have access to those services.”

Pantrea – Brooke Brazer

“Pantrea is a multifaceted platform that connects young women with certified Teen Life Coaches. Our goal is to empower and inspire young women by helping build their self-esteem, support their aspirations and foster their personal development. We focus on the flourishing of the individual, and serve as an advocate during this critical stage in a women’s life.”