Impact Takes Center Stage at SEG’s Spring 2025 Pitch Night

For Immediate Release

June 26, 2025

Impact Takes Center Stage at SEG’s Spring 2025 Pitch Night

EvoNatura, Mini Entrepreneurs of RI, and Transgender Zone recognized for driving innovation in sustainability, youth empowerment, and gender equity

Providence, RI– Last night, Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG) transformed its downtown Providence headquarters into a high-energy stage for innovation, purpose, and community at the Spring 2025 Accelerator Pitch Night. Fourteen emerging entrepreneurs from across Southern New England took the stage to present their impact-driven ventures, competing for thousands in cash prizes, SEG Hub memberships, and a chance to return as featured presenters at the 2026 Impact Showcase.

These founders represent the latest cohort of SEG’s Impact Accelerator Program, which equips early-stage businesses with tools, resources, and a supportive network to grow their social impact. Their ventures span critical sectors like healthcare, environmental sustainability, education, food systems, disability inclusion, and gender equity. This cohort is not only innovative, but also deeply representative: over 75% of participants are women and 63% of the businesses are BIPOC-owned or led.

“This year’s Impact Accelerator cohort represents courage, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to social change. These entrepreneurs are tackling deeply rooted problems with bold, community-rooted solutions, and many are doing so while overcoming systemic barriers to opportunity,” said Julie Owens, CEO of SEG. “Their work is powerful, personal, and urgently needed. It’s an honor to support them, and we can’t wait to see how they continue to lead the way in building a more just and inclusive economy.”

This year’s first-place winners, Priyanka Naithani and Alka Naithani, took home the $2,500 prize for their innovative venture, EvoNatura. EvoNatura is tackling plastic pollution head-on with a powerful solution that works like Pac-Man for plastics. A natural additive, made from upcycled food waste, helps plastics break down safely in any environment. By turning everyday waste into something regenerative, they’re helping build a world where plastic doesn’t outlive the planet.

“We’re deeply honored to be acknowledged by SEG for our innovation. As a women-founded company, EvoNatura is addressing one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time: the widespread use of single-use plastics, their accumulation in landfills, and their long-lasting impact in our environment and for our health,” said Alka Naithani. “Being recognized for our smart advanced biodegradation technology that can degrade plastics at end of its life use, gives us the momentum to keep pushing forward with even greater purpose for lasting impact in our community.”

Erica Campbell, founder of Mini Entrepreneurs of RI, won the $1,000 second-place prize. Her venture is empowering the next generation of leaders by providing children ages 4-18, particularly those from low to moderate income communities, with a solid foundation in entrepreneurship education through business fairs, after school programs, summer camps, mentoring and Mini Pop Up Events.

Rounding out the winners, Victoria and Christopher St. Germain earned third prize and an exclusive SEG Hub membership for their venture, Transgender Zone. This trans-owned, trans-only learning community is where people of transgender experience around the world can find real friends, get live expert guidance, and make serious progress. Bringing confidence, competence, and community around transition to the trans community regardless of age, stage, or geography.

The participating ventures include:

Modesys Technologies, LLC – Developing technology for the early and timely diagnosis of certain tumor diseases with the goal of making cancer diagnostic tools affordable, accessible, and low-cost.
Community IP – Fostering innovation among under-served populations. We help inventors secure intellectual-property (IP) rights for their innovations. By providing resources, mentorship, and financial support, Community IP seeks to democratize the patenting process, enabling diverse innovators to protect and commercialize their ideas effectively.
Four Buds Floral Studio– Rhode Island’s only worker-owned floral design studio. Founded on the belief that a top-tier, full-service flower shop can be an environmentally conscious worker-owned space that helps a community grow and flourish.
Kay’s Curries – Empowering busy families to cook and enjoy delicious, healthy Indian food—regardless of dietary restrictions or time constraints. Proudly manufacturing locally at Hope & Main, creating plant-based, gluten-free, and allergen-friendly meal kits that make traditional Indian cooking easy. Employing women and contributing to strengthening the local economy through a small-batch production model.
Michelle Lee Ink – Enhancing self-confidence and self-esteem through the art of Paramedical Tattooing. Specifically in the areas of 3D Areolas, and Scar Camouflage, with a special emphasis on supporting breast cancer survivors, and individuals with scars that struggle with that as a daily reminder of their past experiences, while nurturing their inner beauty.
Perspectives in Communication– Providing disability culture awareness, cultural competency training and discussions with healthcare students, medical students, practitioners and hospital administrators to develop collaborative and inclusive healthcare for patients with disabilities, their family members and caregivers.
Restora Homes – A home modernization service that combines all-in-one solar, storage, heat pump, and insulation installation with a new battery technology that is safer, longer lasting, and cheaper than Li-ion. Together, these innovations help break through the customer experience, utility permitting, and affordability barriers holding up home electrification at scale.
Greenlight Collaborative – Grounded in values of sovereignty and interconnection, Greenlight Collaborative provides technical assistance to frontline communities and organizations advancing social and environmental justice, for a brighter future, and a healthier planet.

Applications for the Fall 2025 Impact Accelerator cohort are open now. The program runs from September 17th to March 4th and includes in-person classes and online content. Click here to apply now.

About Social Enterprise Greenhouse:
SEG accelerates impact by providing inclusive support and networks for entrepreneurs and businesses committed to positive societal and economic change. SEG fosters an ecosystem of diverse stakeholders who work to enable a more just, equitable, and resilient economy that works for all. SEG is based in Rhode Island and operates statewide virtually and from sites in Providence, Newport, Woonsocket, and Pawtucket/Central Falls. Its network of 2,000+ enterprises and 200+ business and community leaders contributes time, expertise, and funding to grow Rhode Island’s social impact ecosystem. To learn more, visit www.segreenhouse.org.

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Media Contact (For SEG)

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