Cohort 12 Pitch Night: Five Founders. One Stage. Endless Possibilities.

Mark Babaran • June 30, 2026

June 24, 2026 marked more than the conclusion of another successful cohort—it marked the beginning of new possibilities for five entrepreneurs who stepped confidently onto the stage to share their vision with the Charlotte community.


Hosted by The Boost Pad in partnership with Do Greater Charlotte Spark House - Uptown, Cohort 12 Pitch Night brought together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, community partners, and supporters for an inspiring evening celebrating innovation, resilience, and entrepreneurship. The event was proudly sponsored by Ally Bank and NC IDEA Foundation, reaffirming their commitment to helping early-stage entrepreneurs build thriving businesses.


This year's Pitch Night carried even greater significance as it was among the very first entrepreneurial events hosted at Spark House - Uptown, Do Greater Charlotte's newly opened collaborative innovation space, which officially opened its doors just days earlier. It served as the perfect backdrop for founders to share their stories, connect with the community, and take the next step in their entrepreneurial journeys.

Collage of people networking and celebrating at a conference with awards, handshakes, and group photos

Opening the Evening with Inspiration

The evening began with welcome remarks from Harold Hughes, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at The Boost Pad, who reminded attendees that entrepreneurship is not simply about launching businesses—it's about solving meaningful problems, creating opportunities, and strengthening communities.


Guests were then inspired by William Ward, Founder of Flexie and a proud The Boost Pad Cohort 4 alumnus, who shared his entrepreneurial journey and reflected on the lessons, perseverance, and faith required to build a business. His story demonstrated what is possible after completing The Boost Pad program and offered encouragement to every founder preparing to pitch.


With the stage set, it was time for the main event.


Five Entrepreneurs Took the Stage

Each finalist had five minutes to present their business, followed by questions from an esteemed panel of judges. Their pitches reflected months of preparation, countless hours of refinement, and the courage required to present a vision for the future.


Devin Francisco — The Balanced Business


Devin Francisco presented The Balanced Business, a company dedicated to helping behavioral health professionals build sustainable and successful practices through operational support, business strategy, and administrative solutions. Her presentation highlighted a mission to bridge the gap between exceptional healthcare providers and the business systems needed to help their practices thrive.


Scott White — WG Classics


Scott White introduced WG Classics, an innovative luxury peer-to-peer marketplace connecting classic and collectible vehicle owners with enthusiasts seeking unforgettable driving experiences. His vision demonstrated how passion, technology, and nostalgia can come together to create an entirely new marketplace.


Nithin Aravapalli — OnSpotly


Nithin Aravapalli showcased OnSpotly, sharing his vision for a platform designed to create on demand social media content through technology. Beyond being one of the evening's finalists, Nithin and the OnSpotly team also helped capture and share moments from Pitch Night, helping extend the celebration far beyond the event itself. We are grateful for their continued support and partnership in highlighting Charlotte's entrepreneurial community.


Daija Peeler — SevenSixteen


Daija Peeler took the stage to present SevenSixteen, sharing both her business vision and the purpose that drives her work. Her confidence, clarity, and compelling storytelling resonated with the judges and audience alike, reflecting the tremendous growth she demonstrated throughout Cohort 12.


Amoura Carter — AC Creative Collective



Amoura Carter presented AC Creative Collective, highlighting the power of creativity, branding, and strategic storytelling to help businesses strengthen their identity and connect more effectively with their audiences. Her presentation reflected both creativity and professionalism while demonstrating the value creative entrepreneurs bring to the business ecosystem.


Recognizing Excellence

While every entrepreneur who stepped onto the stage represented the very best of Cohort 12, several founders received special recognition for their outstanding achievements.


🏆 Startup Currency Award – $5,000

The evening's highest honor, the $5,000 Startup Currency Award, sponsored by the NC IDEA Foundation, was awarded to Daija Peeler, Founder of SevenSixteen.


Presented by Sarah Mixter, Director of Ecosystem Engagement at NC IDEA and one of the evening's distinguished judges, the award recognizes founders with exceptional promise and supports the next stage of business growth through catalytic funding. The presentation represented more than financial support—it symbolized the confidence that North Carolina's entrepreneurial ecosystem has in founders like Daija and the future they are building.


🏆 Best Pitch Deck Award

The Best Pitch Deck Award was presented to Dreu Dixon, Founder of MoveShepherd, in recognition of developing the cohort's strongest and most compelling investor presentation.

Although Dreu was not among the evening's five finalists, his pitch deck stood out for its clarity, organization, storytelling, and overall presentation, demonstrating the importance of communicating a business vision effectively.


🌟 Special Recognition Award

In one of the evening's most memorable moments, Executive Director Steven Lewis presented a special $250 Sparkhouse Award to Sofia Norenko, celebrating her entrepreneurial spirit and determination.


As one of the youngest entrepreneurs to participate in The Boost Pad, Sofia and her team reminded everyone in attendance that innovation has no age requirement. Her willingness to pursue entrepreneurship at such an early stage inspired both fellow founders and community leaders alike, embodying the courage and curiosity that The Boost Pad seeks to cultivate in every entrepreneur.


Thank You to Our Judges

Pitch Night would not have been possible without the thoughtful feedback, encouragement, and expertise provided by our outstanding panel of judges:

  • Dr. Joan T. Randall, Founder & CEO, Victorious You Press
  • Sarah Mixter, Director of Ecosystem Engagement, NC IDEA
  • Lynne Walters, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, Ally


Their questions, insights, and thoughtful evaluation challenged each entrepreneur to think more deeply about their business models while encouraging them to continue growing beyond the competition.


Powered by Partnership

The Boost Pad believes entrepreneurship flourishes through collaboration, and Cohort 12 Pitch Night was a powerful reflection of what is possible when organizations unite around a shared mission.


We extend our deepest appreciation to:


  • Do Greater Charlotte and Spark House for their continued partnership and for providing an incredible new home for entrepreneurs to gather, learn, and grow.
  • Ally Bank, proud sponsor of both Community Access to Capital and Cohort 12 Pitch Night, for investing in founders and expanding opportunities throughout our community.
  • NC IDEA Foundation, whose sponsorship of the Startup Currency Award continues to fuel innovation and empower entrepreneurs across North Carolina.
  • Our many community partners, volunteers, mentors, and supporters whose dedication strengthens Charlotte's entrepreneurial ecosystem every single day.


Congratulations, Cohort 12

Pitch Night is not simply about winning awards.


It is about founders finding their voice.


It is about entrepreneurs gaining the confidence to stand before a room full of leaders, investors, partners, and peers to declare, "This is the future I am building."


To every entrepreneur who participated in Cohort 12, congratulations. Whether you walked away with an award, a new connection, valuable feedback, or renewed confidence, you are leaving this program stronger than when you began.


At The Boost Pad, we are honored to be part of your journey and look forward to seeing each of your businesses continue to grow, create opportunities, and make a lasting impact in our communities.


The stage may have closed on Pitch Night, but for these founders, the journey is only just beginning.

Founder Stories & Startup Wins — The Boost Pad

Cohort 13 Kicks Off: 17 Founders Begin Their Journey with The Boost Pad

By Mark Babaran • September 24, 2026
There's a particular kind of energy in a room full of people who've decided to bet on themselves. On Wednesday, September 16, 2026 , that energy filled Do Greater Charlotte as 17 founders officially kicked off Cohort 13 of The Boost Pad Accelerator the beginning of a 14-week journey that will challenge them, stretch them, and ultimately transform how they think about the businesses they're building. We Build Entrepreneurs First. Businesses Follow. That phrase isn't just a tagline at The Boost Pad it's the whole philosophy behind everything we do. Before founders ever touch a financial model or a marketing plan, we ask them to slow down and answer a harder question: why does your business deserve to exist? That's the spirit Module 1 was built around Know Your Why and it set exactly the right tone for everything ahead. Because here's the truth every founder in that room learned on day one: purpose comes before product. Products evolve. Strategies shift. Markets change. But a founder who is clear on their purpose, their vision, their mission, and their values has a foundation that holds steady through all of it. When your why is clear, every decision who you serve, how you market, who you partner with, how you grow gets easier. A Team Fully Invested in Their Success This cohort isn't walking into the next four months alone. Founders were introduced to the full Boost Pad team who'll be alongside them at every stage from Executive Director Steven Lewis, to Entrepreneurs in Residence Harold Hughes and Charles Kearse guiding them toward stronger, more scalable businesses, to the operations, marketing, and program support team making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Add in a roster of experienced mentors and guest experts, and it's clear: no founder in Cohort 13 will be figuring this out solo. Introducing CoachMax: A Learning Experience Built for Founders One of the most exciting parts of Kick Off was introducing this cohort to their new digital home for the program: Thinkific , powered by CoachMax , our AI coach available on demand. Every module is already built and waiting founders log in, work through the week's content, submit their assignments, and track their own progress in real time. It's a structured, always-available layer of support that means learning doesn't stop when the session ends; it continues all week, every week. Building Toward Pitch Night, One Week at a Time Perhaps the most exciting part of this journey: founders won't wait until the final week to build their pitch. Starting this week, every founder began constructing their investor-ready pitch deck one slide at a time Title Slide first, then Problem, Solution, Business Model, and onward alongside a weekly 60-second elevator pitch video that gets sharper, tighter, and more confident with every submission. By the time Cohort 13 reaches Pitch Night on January 6, 2027 , every founder will walk on that stage with a complete, polished, investor-ready presentation built week by week not thrown together the night before. A Cohort as Diverse as Charlotte Itself What already stands out about this group is the range seventeen founders, seventeen different businesses, spanning technology, wellness, consumer products, event services, education, and more. It's exactly the kind of mix that makes a cohort strong: founders learning not just from mentors and EIRs, but from each other, across industries they'd never otherwise cross paths in. Delivered in Partnership with the Do Greater Foundation Cohort 13 is proudly delivered in partnership with the Do Greater Foundation two organizations united around the same outcome: expanding access for founders who've historically been underserved by traditional capital, and opening more doors, relationships, and rooms to the entrepreneurs building Charlotte's future. "Progress Comes Through Consistency, Curiosity, and Action." That's the standard this cohort committed to on day one show up, participate, ask questions, support each other, and apply what they learn. It's a high bar. It's also exactly why Boost Pad graduates go on to build real, sustainable businesses. Grateful for This Cohort Thank you to every founder who showed up ready to build, to our EIR team for leading the way, and to the broader Boost Pad and Do Greater Foundation community that makes a night like this possible. Cohort 13 has only just begun and we can't wait to watch these 17 founders discover their why , sharpen their pitch, and walk across that Pitch Night stage in January.
The Boost Pad and UNC Charlotte launch the Student Innovation Program, with group photo and blue branding.

The Boost Pad & UNC Charlotte Launch the Student Intern Program

By Mark Babaran • September 24, 2026
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Listening First: The Boost Pad & Apparo Host a Technology Needs Session for Small Business

By Mark Babaran • September 24, 2026
Good support starts with good listening. That's the idea behind our latest Strategic Partner Network collaboration on Thursday, September 17, 2026 , The Boost Pad partnered with Apparo to host a virtual listening session focused on one question: is technology helping small businesses run, or making it harder? A Session Built Around Real Voices For more than 20 years, Apparo has helped organizations use technology more effectively through practical, accessible guidance and support. Now, they're exploring whether that same kind of support could benefit small, owner-run businesses and rather than guessing at the answer, they wanted to hear it directly from business owners themselves. That's exactly what this session was for. Small business owners joined us virtually to talk openly about the technology they deal with day to day from CRM and customer management to accounting systems, marketing tools, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, cybersecurity and data protection, and AI and automation. No pitch, no sales agenda just a genuine conversation about what's working, what's not, and where the real friction points are. What We Heard The conversation did exactly what it was meant to do. As Apparo's Director of Technology Engagements, Jennifer Ray, put it afterward: the discussion helped confirm assumptions about the value Apparo might bring to the small business community. In other words the challenges business owners described lined up with what Apparo suspected, and now there's real, firsthand insight to help shape what comes next. Didn't Make It? You Can Still Weigh In For anyone who registered but couldn't attend live, Apparo shared a recording of the session along with a short follow-up questionnaire so more voices can still be part of shaping this work: 🎥 Watch the Session Recording → Grateful for the Partnership A big thank you to Jennifer Ray and the Apparo team for bringing this idea to us and trusting our community enough to ask hard questions and actually listen to the answers. And thank you to everyone who showed up, shared honestly, and helped shape what smarter technology support could look like for small businesses across Charlotte. Join the Strategic Partner Network This session is one small example of what's possible when organizations like Apparo choose to invest their expertise in Charlotte's entrepreneurs. The Boost Pad's Strategic Partner Network brings together Alumni Partners , Professional Partners , and Community Partners each contributing knowledge, mentorship, networking, or industry guidance, for a commitment of just five hours per cohort cycle. If your organization has expertise to offer technology, finance, marketing, legal, or otherwise we'd love to talk about what a partnership could look like. Become a Strategic Partner → Practical technology. Real business challenges. Your voice.
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