The Social Justice Fund has awarded $300,000 to two Brooklyn businesses as the grand prize winners of its inaugural $450,000 Brooklyn Pitch Competition, held Nov. 3 at The Centurion New York by American Express.
Brooklyn Custom Builds and WONU each received $150,000 to support business operations, hiring and expansion.
Founded by Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets, the Social Justice Fund selected the winners from five Brooklyn-based finalists with annual revenues ranging from $1 million to $5 million. Judges included Wu Tsai, David Belt of Newlab and Rich Tao of Udy Road Holdings.
“We created the Brooklyn Pitch Competition to support small businesses that have the potential to scale — those that we know can achieve significant growth with the right resources and support,” said Wu Tsai. “We were especially impressed by the potential that WONU and Brooklyn Custom Builds showed to create local jobs and expand their presence in rapidly growing markets. Our hope is that the funds and ongoing mentorship that the winners and finalists receive will allow them to grow their businesses and create more economic opportunity for Brooklyn for years to come.”
Brooklyn Custom Builds, based in East Williamsburg, designs and builds custom mobile offices, medical clinics and command centers. Founded by Arthur Wei and Oliver Gallini, the company plans to use the funding to launch an outbound marketing campaign, expand its local workforce and increase production capacity.
WONU, a creative, design and production studio based in Crown Heights, creates in-person experiences for luxury retail brands. Founded by Jade Akintola, the company will use its award to expand its full-time staff and strengthen its senior leadership team to accommodate growing client demand.
The competition highlights the role of small businesses in Brooklyn's economy, particularly their potential to create local jobs, attract investment and expand commercial opportunities. The awards also provide businesses with resources to strengthen their operations and compete in growing markets.
Three other finalists each received $50,000: Malai, an East Williamsburg-based South Asian-inspired ice cream company; PhysioRX, a Park Slope physical therapy and performance training business; and Kirrin Finch, a Navy Yard-based gender-inclusive apparel brand serving women, transgender and nonbinary customers.
In addition to the financial awards, all five businesses will receive investor introductions, capital matchmaking, strategic advisory sessions and connections to procurement opportunities.
The competition is part of the Social Justice Fund's broader effort to support Brooklyn entrepreneurs through loan, equity and grant programs. More information about its business support initiatives is available at www.bksjf.org.
