Swim with the Sharks, the New Castle County Emerging Enterprise Center’s annual pitch competition, selected the social venture WilmInvest as its 2019 winner at its Nov. 1 final round at Harry’s Savoy Grill in Wilmington.
WilmInvest impressed the judges — Keith Ellison of the Urban League of Philadelphia Entrepreneurship Center, Holly Flanagan of Gabriel Investments, Mark Olazagasti of Info Solutions and Dr. Sumedh Surwade of SAS Nanotechnologies —with a pitch that included a successful pilot application of the model. The venture acquires vacant and renovates vacant properties, then helps place houseless families in the homes under WilmInvest management.