PROVIDENCE - (November 20, 2023) - The Rhode Island Business Competition hosted their Pitch Contest on Thursday, November 16^th awarding a total of $1000 in cash prizes. Over 24 entrepreneurs pitched their business idea to a panel of three judges, including Steven Hughes, Director of Sales – Northeast Region at Cox Business, Meaghan Krupa, Partner at Hinckley Allen, and Gregg Tumeinski, EVP and Chief Financial Officer at Beacon Mutual Insurance Company.

The first-place winner was Landon Begin who is the founder of Osteo Nano, a provider of a nanoparticle implant coating which captures the degradation-associated molecules before they have the opportunity to interact with bone tissue.

Anastacia Yefimenko took second place with her company, Elcove, a start-up producing a line of home care products with the mission of a making sustainable and toxic-free lifestyle accessible to all.

Third place was awarded to Amanda Vera whose company, Theragripper, has an innovative approach in treating Crohn’s disease-related gastrointestinal inflammation by utilizing a patented drug related delivery mechanism.

Applications for the Rhode Island Business Competition which awards over $150,000 in cash and prizes will be available on the website www.ri-business.com starting January 8, 2024.