ORRVILLE, Ohio, U.S. —1850 Brand Coffee named Alice Kittrell the winner of its 1850™ Bold Pioneer Contest, a competition that invited aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide to bring forth their bold ideas for an opportunity to receive mentorship and $18,500 in funding.
New Jersey-based entrepreneur, Alice Kittrell, will use the prize money to help fund Outgift, a gifting service that combines machine learning, a curated product portfolio and a social sharing platform to find the right gift for every person and occasion.
The 1850™ Bold Pioneer Contest kicked off in July in conjunction with the launch of 1850Brand Coffee, a premium coffee brand inspired by the year The Folger Coffee Company was founded and embodying the hustle and grind of today’s pioneers.
“I started Outgift because I wanted to help people honor the meaningful relationships in their lives by finding their loved ones the perfect gifts and I want them to have fun in the process,” said Kittrell. “I am so grateful that America shares the same passion for my bold idea. Between the opportunity to learn firsthand from entrepreneurial top dog Alexis Ohanian to the funding itself, the 1850™ Bold Pioneer Contest has been invaluable in helping us grow and improve our new platform dedicated to finding our users the right gift for every person and occasion.”
To help determine the grand prize winner, 1850Brand Coffee enlisted Alexis Ohanian, Initialized Capital and Reddit co-founder, to mentor and counsel the three finalists as they venture into the competitive startup world. In October, Ohanian met with each finalist for one-on-one mentoring sessions to talk through their ideas and address their unique challenges. Afterward, each finalist had 60 seconds to present their bold idea to a panel of judges, who shared real-time feedback and questions.
“Our team was blown away by the ideas we saw throughout the nomination process and in the end, it was extremely difficult for us to narrow it down to our three finalists,” said Ann Weinberger, 1850 Brand Coffee Director, “As a brand founded on a passion for perseverance and a trailblazing spirit, we are honored to support Alice’s inspiring journey to bring Outgift to a wider audience.”
To learn more about Outgift and Alice Kittrell, visit https://www.outgift.com/.
For more information about 1850 Brand Coffee product offerings, visit 1850coffee.com or follow along on social media (@1850Coffee).
