Recapping Circular Austin Showcase & Pitch Competition
On August 29th, 2024 a live audience pitch competition and showcase took place at the Cathedral in Austin, Tx. Co-Founder of Central Texas Fashion Coalition- Melissa Pierce shares a brief recap of this amazing event produced by the City of Austin’s Circular Economy Program from her personal experience attending this incredible event.
Five small businesses pitched to judges (Bart Bohn, Sandy Eapen, Emma Leavy and Alina Sanchez) for a chance to win $10,000 in prize money. Plus, three entrepreneurs emerging from the Circular Accelerator will compete for $2,000. Learn more about the City's Circular Economy Program via this link. Out of the 8 competitors chosen to pitch-3 were Slow Fashion entrepreneurs.
Competitors Included:
Aura Rainwater*, Black Lives Veggies, Heron, Material Union*, Mosaic Workshop, Shop Slow, Sleep Never*, Wanderlust Wine Co.
*Indicates qualified via the Circular Accelerator program. BOLD indicates Slow Fashion businesses.
Each founder was allotted 4 minutes to pitch with an accompanying presentation to the crowd and judges followed by a few minutes for questions from the judges. What really amazed us the most was how incredibly professional and prepared each individuals pitch truly was. The crowd was full of immersed and inspired individuals there to support the growing sustainability movement that Austin is working hard to foster. In the spirit of uplifting the Slow Fashion Business’ that were featured we’re sharing a few highlights from their presentations.
Material Union (pitched by founder Christa Clark)
Christa brought a fiery passion to the table right off the bat- introducing her presentation by directing her team of volunteers to dump a large pile of clothing on the floor. The clothing represented the size of an average persons annual contribution to the textile waste crisis (roughly 82lbs!). She continued to light that fire throughout her presentation showcasing her company- Material Unions incredible mission and vision in the fight to preserve textile waste from polluting underdeveloped countries including plans to upcycle unwanted clothing in a variety of ways-including creating new products and generating multiple streams of revenue to provide fair wage jobs. Learn more about Material Union here
Christa impressed the judges and won the $2,000 prize for the Accelerator Program Category! We are so proud of Christa as one of CTFC's founding members and for the work their team is putting into this incredible project.
Sleep Never (pitched by founder Aaron Torres)
Calm, cool and collected- the perfect energy that Aaron Torres embodied while presenting his brand Sleep Never to the audience. Aaron shared his story and successes of moving to Austin- noting that year after year his revenue has increased since relocating his business to a Slow Fashion Hub. He shared how partnering with skilled laborers in the Austin area, he plans to grow his business offering clothing with a lifetime guarantee including repairs and alterations. Aarons story was like a breath of fresh air and there's a lot we can learn from each other-especially a designer as accomplished as Sleep Never. Learn more about Sleep Never via their Instagram
Shop Slow (pitched by co-founder Mikaela Friedman)
Mikaela Friedman confidently presented Shop Slow-a collective of designers founded by herself and partner Rebecca Wright (of Psychic Outlaw.) Shop Slow is a brick and mortar showcasing local and regional indie Slow Fashion designers located in the vibrant South Lamar district. Not only does Shop Slow sell clothing but also acts as a hub for the local community-hosting frequent meetups, events and workshops-CTFC were proud to be featured and noted as collaborators of theirs. The entire presentation really summed up their commitment to building and nurturing the local Slow Fashion Community and the work that still needs to happen in order to protect what we have all been building together. Learn more about Shop Slow here
In Conclusion
It’s difficult to wrap up such an amazing and heartfelt event into a brief article. The dedication and hard work put in by each entrepreneur was apparent, not only to me but to the entire audience and judges alike. It’s an honor to witness the work that these amazing people are putting in and it’s especially enlightening to note that 37% (3/8) of the businesses were Slow Fashion related. These entrepreneurs represent the community at large-the progress that we are making, the noise that we are creating and the lives that we are changing.
Thank you to those who are a part of this movement- Central Texas Fashion Coalition exists because of you. We are grateful to represent, uplift and serve all of you. - Melissa Pierce (co-founder)
