We are proud to announce the finalists for the inaugural competition! The top six scoring businesses from each track were selected by judges to move forward with their ideas and compete in the final round of competition held on April 10, 2024, during Bridging Innovation Week, at the Marshall Health Network Arena in Huntington, WV.

• Facebook

Battle Buddy Bears LLC

Lora Yeater, Founder

Shyla Wells, Team Member

James Malinchak, Coach

The mission of “Battle Buddy Bears” is to provide companionship and emotional support to children with medical conditions by creating personalized teddy bears that mirror their unique disabilities. Through our bears, we aim to foster a sense of understanding, inclusivity, and self-expression, empowering children to navigate their challenges with resilience and ensuring they never feel alone on their journey. Our communication tools with each bear further facilitate meaningful connections between children, parents, and healthcare providers.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Link

Curated Wonder LLC

Terran Quinlan, Chief Experience Curator

Curated Wonder delivers curated toolkits for your own adventures & travel to create memories through experiences with curiosity + connection.

Each kit is an activity of something you do, learn, taste, explore and experience.

For exploring new places. For taking a road trip. For embracing new cultures. For trying new flavors. And whatever else we may dream up.

• Instagram
• Link

Fun Fitness Kids Club LLC.

Traci Phillips, CEO

Justin Phillips, COO

With WV leading the nation in adult and childhood obesity, our mission is to help decrease the obesity rate in our state with fun and fitness. We offer mobile fun fitness party & event rentals & WV’s only Fun Fitness Bus.

• Soft Play Zone

• 360 Photo Booth

• Fun Fitness Bus

• Bumper Cars

• Obstacle Course Inflatables

• Lots of games and more

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Link

Mal’s Fresh Produce

Mallory Moholt, CEO

Our mission at Mal’s Fresh Produce is to nourish our community with locally sourced, nutritious food while fostering a sustainable and resilient local food system. Through our unwavering commitment to supporting local farmers and producers, we strive to combat food insecurity and promote better health outcomes for all. With dedication, integrity, and a passion for exceptional customer service, our goal is to bring fresh produce to everyone in our community, one fresh fruit and vegetable at a time. We are relentless in our mission to cultivate a healthier, more vibrant future for West Virginia by making fresh local nutritious food accessible!

Paw Thaws

Dallas Mullett, Founder & Captain

Jordan Gehring, Team Member

Logan Cosper, Team Member

Paw Thaws specializes in producing healthy and delicious frozen pet treats for both cats and dogs. Each treat is made from locally sourced, West Virginia fruits and vegetables and blended with low-fat, organic, lactose free, yogurt. Providing pet owners with a guilt-free and nutritious indulgence for their furry companions that provides added protection from local seasonal allergies and diseases.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• X
• Link

Pine Room Studios LLC

Brian Campbell, Co-Founder

Jarrett Delbrugge, Co-Founder

Jub Delbrugge, Co-Founder

The Pine Room Studios is a multi media production company located out of Wheeling, WV. We strive to create a multi faceted, dynamic, and innovate experience for our customers through all platforms.

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Link

Brite

Nate Wimer, CEO

Lukas Thackery, CGO

Craig Dombrowski, CTO

Brite helps navigate a nationwide, hair-on-fire problem cutting through higher education: a demographic and values shift leading to less available students and bleeding profits. Brite provides university administrators with data-driven feedback insights into their institution’s gaps to help retain students and optimize revenue, while simultaneously offering advertisers unique marketing channels to reach college-aged consumers.

• Link

GPTeacher

Andrew Shephard, Founder and Team Lead

• Robert Coleman, Team Member • Glen Mauder, Team Member • Garrett Rhodes, Team Member • Juan Zacarias, Team Member • Philomena Krosminco, Mentor

GPTeacher leverages the power of AI to transform classrooms by providing instant academic assistance to students and valuable insights for teachers through qualitative analysis. Our mission is to enhance the educational experience by integrating ChatGPT technology, making learning more accessible, engaging, and effective. By partnering with schools, GPTeacher aims to empower educators and students alike with real-time, reliable educational support, fostering a more interactive and productive learning environment.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Link
• X
• LinkedIn

Moodr Health

Jackie Lytton, VP of Marketing and Business Development

Ataes Aggarwal, President and Co-Founder

Arya Satish, Lead Clinical Architect

• Michelle Hopkins, VP of Sales • Greyson Travelstead, Software Development • Alex Griffin, Software Development • Andre Adamchak, Software Development • Brandon Jones, Graphic Design • Jennifer Bender, Co-Founder, Perinatal Nurse Navigator, Mentor • Lora McDonald, Perinatal Social Worker, Mentor • Ashok Aggarwal, Mentor • Dr. Beth McClellan, Mentor • Dr. Tom McClellan, Mentor • Mike Green, Mentor • David Wible, Mentor

Moodr Health is a proactive digital healthcare solution designed to equip providers with key mood-related indicators to prevent, identify, and treat mental health challenges early. We use proactive outreach to help patients suffering in silence along with the collection of objective data through wearable technology. This leads to a more comprehensive view of the patient and the ability to catch the onset of anxiety and depression symptoms early.

Slim Safe

Eva Toor, CEO

Anne Jones, Advisor • Carrie White, Advisor • Mike Green, Advisor • Frank Goldsborough, Business Coach

At Slim Safe, we aim to provide a helmet that makes your riding experience both safe and stylish. Our innovative helmet is designed to fit inconspicuously under a riding hat so equestrians never have to choose between safety and success.

Sparked

Shawn Cosner, Founder/Creator

Sparked’s mission is to empower creators/users by providing a transformative platform that captures, organizes, and nurtures their ideas and inspirations. We are dedicated to preserving the emotional and contextual essence of creativity, enabling individuals and teams to bring their visions to life with integrity and passion.

Sybercups

Marshawn Kelley, Founder & CEO

Jonathan Williams, Co-Founder

Sybercups is a pioneering company at the forefront of the drink-spiking prevention industry, aiming to revolutionize nightlife safety by providing innovative, accessible, and reliable solutions to protect individuals from drink tampering. Their focus is on creating tamper-detecting products that detect or prevent tampering of all kinds, starting with the drink-spiking industry.