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CHICAGO, Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 5, 2020, Tampa-based TradesFactor won the Veterans in Residence Pitch Competition hosted by Bunker Labs. The top prize was $5,000.
Approximately 70 entrepreneurs from 23 Veterans in Residence cohorts across the country applied to pitch at the virtual event. Five were selected to compete, including:
- Brendan Aronson, CFO of Philadelphia-based Paintru
- April Caldwell, Co-Founder and CEO of Tampa-based fayVen
- Bryan Jacobs, CEO and Founder of Tampa-based Reveille Meals
- Joey Mac Dizon, Founder and CEO of Newark-based Mobile Cigar Lounge
- Michael Zanetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Tampa-based TradesFactor
Each entrepreneur had four minutes to pitch their business followed by questions from the judges.
TradesFactor serves as a digital passport for trades workers, containing experience and certification data. Companies can search TradesFactor's database of skilled trades workers to find qualified candidates. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, the TradesFactor platform can predict worker availability, assess productivity and integrate data with existing industry tools.
TradesFactor has more than 30,000 users already on the platform.
"The entrepreneurs who participated in this pitch competition are inspirational and, given the challenges of 2020, have demonstrated what it means to adapt and overcome," said Bunker Labs CEO Blake Hogan. "Congratulations to Mike on his well-deserved win. TradesFactor makes a positive impact on people and the economy, and we're excited to watch the company continue to grow."
The pitch competition was judged by Traug Keller, WeWork's Director of Federal and Defense Market; Jada Nicome, Bunker Labs' Virtual Community Director; and John Wensveen, Chief Innovation Director of Nova Southeastern University. The competition was sponsored by WeWork and the Bulova Stetson Fund.
About Bunker Labs:
Bunker Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a national network of veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs dedicated to helping the military-connected community start their own business. Bunker Labs is committed to seeing that every entrepreneur, including small business owners, in the military-connected community has the network, tools, and resources they need to start their own business. Learn more about Bunker Labs: www.bunkerlabs.org
About Veterans in Residence:
A partnership of WeWork and Bunker Labs, Veterans in Residence is a six-month in-person/virtual incubator and leadership program that provides veteran and military family member entrepreneurs the community, business support, and workspace to help launch and grow their businesses.
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