RECAP: 2024 HBS New Venture Competition and Networking Night

On the evening of March 7, HBSANC held our annual alumni New Venture Competition. This event boasted over 150 attendees including entrepreneurs, investors, judges, and the general public.  It was a great evening of food, drinks, entertainment, and a competitive pitch competition which culminated in announcing the Regional Northern CA New Venture Competition Winner.

The evening started off with a great spread of food and sponsored drinks from Abstinence Spirits, The Lost Explorer, Westward Whiskey and Sudwerks Brewing Company.  Next, we had an amazing talk and performance by Aloe Blacc.  Aloe dazzled the crowd with his hit songs “Wake Me Up” and “I’m the Man.”

Congratulations to Jilly Bing, this year’s NVC Winner!  Jilly Bing, a startup focused on dolls and characters celebrating Asian heritage, will represent Northern California in the Global HBS Finals on March 21.

"I have always been proud to be a part of the Harvard alumni community, and that sentiment is strengthened today while also reaffirming my belief that ideas can be game-changing with the right people supporting them," says Elenor Mak, founder of Jilly Bing. "I founded Jilly Bing to bring joy to children everywhere, and to also challenge the toy industry to diversify its offerings. This honor from HBS brings us another step closer to bringing an Asian American doll to the masses. Winning the Northern California HBS pitch competition reaffirms my belief that we can achieve meaningful cultural impact alongside business results". - Elenor Mak, Jilly Bing Founder & CEO.

Congratulations also to Localby, our 2024 NVC runner-up LocalBy, an AI-enabled marketplace for local handmade goods! 

When asked about her experience with NVC, founder Jackie Bernhelm stated, “A big thank you to the HBSANC community! Not only was it an honor to present as a finalist at the NVC event, but it was incredibly valuable to get feedback from HBS alums as a part of the process! There really aren't many opportunities for founders to get honest coaching from credible investors. I can't emphasize enough how helpful this is and how thankful I am to the volunteers who gave their time to do so.”

As in previous years, the NVC serves as a launch pad for innovative new ventures from HBS alumni, and provides access and exposure to potential investors, mentors, and advisors.  Unlike other regions globally, our Northern California regional NVC was expanded to include alumni founders from all of Harvard, not just HBS. Five startup finalists were chosen to pitch out of 30 Harvard and HBS alumni-founded participating startups.  These startups include Aromarc Therapeutics, Current Software, Delfino AI, Jilly Bing, and Localby.  Due to calendar conflicts, Delfino AI unfortunately couldn’t compete in the finals. 

Thank you to our judges for the evening - Alice Brooks, Ann Kletz, and Chris Yeh.  Also, thank you to our many volunteers who helped to make this event a success.  Finally, thank you to our Perkins Coie and 5th Line Capital for their generous cash sponsorships, in addition to our drink sponsors, without whom we could not have made this event possible!

Looking forward to another exciting entrepreneurial competition in 2025!

-Maya Krish and Vince Lane, 2024 NVC Co-Chairs

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!!

Cash Sponsors:

Perkins Coie, the Premier Legal Sponsor for NVC, thanks you for coming.  For more information on the early stage startup packages Perkins Coie offers, please contact Arman Pahlavan at [email protected].

5th Line Capital offers a suite of tailor-made financial solutions for growth-stage companies.  If you are interested in learning what we can do for you, please contact Greg Blount at [email protected]

Some special offers from our beverage sponsors:

The Lost Explorer Mezcal is a handcrafted artisanal spirit made from 100% agave, cultivated in the sun-soaked Valles Centrales, Oaxaca in Mexico. The most internationally awarded mezcal in its first year of launch, the range of three uniquely profiled expressions - Espadín, Tobalá and Salmiana - seek to inspire people to celebrate the earth and live curiously, exploring the wonder and diversity of the sacred agave plant.

HBSANC members and event attendees can use the code LOSTEXPLORERS for 20% off products on their website.

Westward Whiskey is a leading craft whiskey distillery based in Portland, Oregon. Westward was founded in 2004 by HBS alum Thomas Mooney with the vision to make a distinctive American Whiskey inspired by the American Northwest. From humble beginnings to its impressive footprint today, creating a bold, robust, and delicious whiskey has remained the team’s true passion.

We hope that you enjoyed Westward Whiskey!  Please ask for us at your favorite restaurant or fine spirits retailer.  You can also visit us at westwardwhiskey.com and use the code HBS10 to receive a 10% discount on your online purchase of Westward Whiskey through April 30.  While you're there, we invite you to sign up for access to unique quarterly releases that are exclusive to our club. 

Abstinence Spirits is a line of premium distilled non-alcoholic Spirits and Aperitifs featuring botanicals from South Africa. The products feature sophisticated, great tasting flavors that can be enjoyed simply with tonic or club soda or mixed into your favorite cocktails. Learn more at abstinencespirits.com. Attendees can use the code HBS10 for 10% off your order.

Sudwerk Brewing Co. was founded in 1989 by two German descendants determined to share the high-quality, familiar taste of true German lagers. Since then, we have been relentlessly pushing the boundaries of traditional lager making for 30 years; pioneering the craft beer industry along the way. ​Our beer making processes are rooted in traditional German brewing methods but blended with modern, West Coast craft beer practices.

Are you an HBS alum, yet not a member? To join, log in and click on the Membership tab or email HBSANC Memberships to become a member.