Three hardworking innovators presented their up-and-coming businesses to a panel of judges and audience members at the 2nd Annual LAUNCH Pitch Competition Aug. 15 on the Emerging Brands Stage. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize provided by WPA and Purina.
Christine Colamonico, DVM and co-founder of Jope – Joy of Pets, a pet supplement and wellness company; Michelle Huie, founder and CEO of ShopDot, an online retail solution for pet, health and wellness service businesses; and Dan Fallak, director of wholesale for Uproot Clean, a line of patented products for pet-hair management, each took to the stage to pitch their pet-care brands and field questions from the five esteemed judges.
In the end, Fallak of Uproot Clean clinched the win. He and Mehul Patel, founder and CEO of the company, are new to SUPERZOO and have enjoyed a winning time as they also received second place in the New Product Showcase Awards for their Uproot 7-1 Pet Grooming Kit on Wednesday.
“It’s been exciting, a little nerve-wracking before I got on stage, and such a cool experience and opportunity for young brands,” Fallak said about the experience. “It truly shows the investment in innovation, which is really important. It’s what we hear from buyers: They want something new, and this Launch Contest is a great way to find those companies.”
Patel agreed, adding that “Honestly, we didn’t anticipate it in any way, so it was fantastic to see it happen. It’s our first time presenting on a stage like this so it’s very rewarding.”
Based in Miami, FL, the company aims to fill a need in a large gap in the industry: pet-hair management, Fallak said. The Uproot Clean line includes lint- and pet-hair removers from credit-card sized to extra-large with 60-inch handle as well as pet hair-reducing dryer sheets, with more to come.