2018 People’s Choice Award Winner

2018 Recap
Nominations in 2018 were curated from a list of community stakeholders, including:
- DC Department for Small and Local Business Development
- Bunker Labs / Capitol Post
- BEACON
- Get Found Get Funded
- 1863 Ventures
- DC Small Business Development Center
The People’s Choice Award 2018 recognized a company that has captured the hearts of the Greater Washington, D.C. Region’s entrepreneurial community, voted by the general public.
2019 Outlook
The second annual #FoundersRising Awards, jointly organized by members of the Greater Washington, D.C. Region’s business community, will recognize and celebrate the city’s most successful rising innovation led and tech-enabled companies, startup pioneers and disruptive innovators this winter.
Some of the categories being explored for 2019 include:
Art of the Pivot
The Art of the Pivot Award celebrates a startup’s ability to change its business model, product direction, target audience, etc. and successfully revamp their business in the face of adversity over the last 12 months.
Which startup do you think should win this year’s award for The Art of The Pivot?
Best Social Impact Startup
The Best Social Impact Startup Award recognizes a mission-driven for-profit startup with a social mission who has made the biggest impact on the Greater Washington, D.C. Region’s community and/or beyond in the past 12 months.
Which startup do you think should win this year’s award for Best Social Impact Startup?
Scrappiest Startup
The Scrappiest Startup Award recognizes a startup that has achieved significant milestones over the last 12 months without ever raising equity or debt capital.
Which startup do you think should win this year’s award for Scrappiest Startup?
Best B2C Startup
The Best B2C Startup Award recognizes a startup that provides a product to consumers that has achieved significant milestones over the last 12 months.
Which startup do you think should win this year’s award for Best B2C Startup?
Best B2B Startup
The Best B2B Startup Award recognizes a startup that solves a problem for businesses that has achieved significant milestones over the last 12 months.
Which startup do you think should win this year’s award for Best B2B Startup?
Best Growth Stage Startup
The Best Growth Stage Startup Awards recognizes startups that have shown strong product-market fit and achieved significant milestones over the last 12 months. These companies are Post Series A, ARR over $3-5M, with 40+ employees.
Which startup do you think should win this year’s award for Growth Stage Startup?
Community Influencer
The Community Influencer Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact in the last 12 months in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The recipient of this Award will best embody InnovateCoalition’s core values: Make Connections, Add Value, Give Credit, Partner Freely, Promote Equally, with No Excuses!
Which individual do you think should win this year’s award for Community Influencer?
Equity Champion
The Equity Champion Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact in the entrepreneurial ecosystem by removing barriers or providing access to underrepresented founders in the last 12 months. The recipient of this Award will be one who: Promotes Inclusion, Removes Barriers, Provides Access, and Creates Opportunities.
Which individual do you think should win this year’s award for Equity Champion?
Lifetime Achievement Award
What single individual do you think has created the most positive impact on the Greater Washington, D.C. Region’s startup ecosystem over the course of their professional career and deserves recognition for their efforts?