PROVIDENCE – (April 24, 2026) – A splash guard that attaches to existing bedpan washing hardware and prevents splash back while caregivers perform rinsing activities called Looey was announced the winner of the 2026 Rhode Island Business Competition. Sarah Waimon was one of the three finalists who competed against over 50 applicants for awards totaling over $80,000 in cash and prizes. The awards ceremony was held at CIC.

In a joint statement, RIBC Co-Chairs Meaghan Krupa, Partner at Hinckley Allen, and Anthony Mangiarelli, Partner at KLR, noted "We are so excited to showcase these businesses tonight. We had 57 applicants this year which is the largest number of businesses applying since the pandemic. Each year the quality of the candidates improves as well which makes the judges’ decisions that much harder.  In addition, this is the first time ever that we have had all the finalists be women.  It is important for us now to celebrate the dedication and hard work of these talented entrepreneurs, and we look forward to seeing them continuing to succeed." 

The following are the other two finalists for this year's Competition:

EQLabs has created VERA, a lab AI using vision and voice with a webcam to capture workflows in real time, automate documentation, link instrument data, and run analysis. Principal applicant – Bahar Bilgen

Shellf Life is a company that has created a process that turns post-consumer seafood shell waste into architectural building materials, such as tiles, panels, and design objects. Principal applicant – Felicia Neuhof

Serving as judges for this year are:

• Kim Anderson, Impact Investor and Owner of Plant City 
• Bob Chatham, Director at Slater Technology Fund
• Meaghan Krupa, Partner at Hinckley Allen
• Anthony Mangiarelli, Partner at KLR
• Aidan Petrie, Founding Partner of the New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMIC)
• Jennifer Rousseau, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Investments at Delta Dental of RI
• Annette Tonti, Managing Director at RIHub
• Justin Wilkes, Sales Director at Envision Technologies

The prizes consisting of cash and in-kind services are provided by dozens of sponsors, including banks, investors, colleges and universities, professional services firms, non-profits, construction, health related, software, retail, and other businesses as well as former competitors.

Sponsors of the 2026 Rhode Island Business Competition

Pillar sponsor is the Everhope Foundation. Other lead sponsors include 8 Cylinder Consulting, Envision Technology Advisors, Hinckley Allen, KLR, and Sprout Coworking.

Also sponsoring are Beacon Mutual Insurance Company, FM, and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.

Additional sponsors include Bristol County Savings Bank, Business Development Company, Centreville Bank, Delta Dental of Rhode Island, Dimeo Construction Company, Navigant Credit Union, Slater Technology Fund, Social Enterprise Greenhouse, Washington Trust, BankNewport, Beacon Bank, Blount Fine Foods, Commerce RI, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at CCRI, Hope Global, Papitto Opportunities Connection, Peter George, and Roger Williams University. Our growth partners are New England Medical Innovation Center, RIHub, and CIC.

The Rhode Island Business Competition fosters development of companies by inviting emerging and established entrepreneurs to submit ideas for a business, in any industry, that is based in Rhode Island and has strong growth potential. The most promising ideas will receive cash and services. The Competition is supported by a broad range of sponsors that include private businesses, investors, foundations, colleges and universities, public entities, nonprofit organizations, and former competitors. Today, we are one of the leading community-supported business competitions in the Northeast.