Here are some pictorial highlights from last Friday’s (Sept. 27) Demo Day for the Black Founders Exchange. The event was held at Durham’s Carolina Theater and won by Durham’s Courtroom5, the only Triangle-based startup competing in a field of 11 Black-founded startups from around North America. Read our full coverage of the event here, and our story about the broader Black Founders Exchange program—sponsored by Durham’s America Underground and Google for Startups—here.
All photos are by Kirby Caraballo.
One of the contestants, Tiffanie Stanard, awaits the program’s start. Stanard founded Stimulus, a software provider for company relationships.An audience member raises his hand to ask a question of American Underground’s general manager Molly Demarest (right) and startup programs manager Tarryn Henry.Audience members cheer one of the presenters after they finish their pitch.Audience members watch presenters pitch to the judges.James Gibbs, co-founder of Meter Feeder— a “smart parking meter” that will soon even be able to account for autonomous vehicles—makes his pitch to the judges and audience members. Gibbs took home honorable mention.An audience member gives a standing ovation for Kimberly Gray, founder and CEO of Uvii, which stands for “universal video instructional interface.”Dr. Shante Williams (right), a Partner at Charlotte’s Black Pearl Global Investments and one of Friday’s judges, recognizes the winners. First-place Courtroom5 of Durham was founded by CEO Sonja Ebron (second from right) and Debra Slone (third from right).Courtroom5 Co-Founder and CEO Sonja Ebron, left, with Google’s Vanessa Whatley, one of the week’s mentors.Attendees leave the event.
I've worn many hats, but my current chapeau* is as Managing Editor of GrepBeat, which covers the Raleigh-Durham tech scene, especially tech startups. Sign up for our Tuesday-Thursday email newsletter at grepbeat.com. Hope to see you around the Triangle! (*chapeau is French for "pretentious")
