Startup Central
Camden Catalyst – $25,000 Pitch Competition Recap
Camden Catalyst was a $25,000 pitch competition hosted in Camden NJ with the goal of attracting Tech Startups to the city of Camden. The first annual Camden Catalyst was hosted on October 20th 2017 featuring a judging panel consisting of leads, innovators, and people that are shaping Camden.
Camden has been an active community within the last several years due to nearly $2.5 Billion (that’s with a capital B) in tax credits given to Fortune 500 companies to move to Camden. The incentive drew many companies to the city including Holtec, Subaru, 76ers Innovation Lab, and American Water to name a few. The last several years Camden has been busy with many of its major construction along the Camden Waterfront done by Liberty Property Trust and also development of Knights Crossing overseen by Brandywine Realty Trust. The process has garnered attention from businesses and startups from the surrounding region.
Waterfront Ventures
In 2016, Waterfront Ventures, an economic development organization, joined Camden with a mission – to bring 100 startups to the city of Camden to kickstart the startup community and provide jobs/opportunities for Camden students and residents. If Waterfront Ventures is successful, they promise Camden will be a vibrant community with an abundance of jobs/opportunities with a similar ecosystem like Philadelphia. They’ve since hosted several conferences in the city including Startup Conference on May 25th of 2016, UP Conference on January 14th of 2017, and also hosted a plethora of events and programs such as Breakfast with Titans, Camden Tech Meetup, and Lighthouse Mentorship.
Birth of Camden Catalyst 3/24/17
Given their growth and development in the city, a pitch competition was inevitable. On March 24th, Bob Moul CEO of Cloudamize, Dan Rhoton CEO of Hopeworks N’ Camden, and the Waterfront Ventures team got together and created a pitch competition with a prize pool of $25,000. The plan was to have a high enough prize pool to generate buzz for Camden and also provide incentives for a startup to consider building their HQ in the city. The winning startup would have to build their HQ in the city of Camden, hire their first employee in the city, and 50% of their workforce must be Camden students or residents. With the plan in place, the team set out and created Camden Catalyst and announced it to the world.
The Practice Pitch 8/17/17
Hundreds of startups signed up within weeks of Camden Catalyst going live. The Waterfront Ventures team’s first challenge is to call and vet each and every single startup to ensure that they meet the requirement and qualify. 102 startups qualified through the screening process. On August 17th the team created a practice pitch to help first time entrepreneurs prepare for the big day.
Camden Catalyst Pitch Competition – 10/14/17
The big day took place on October 14th 2017 at the Waterfront Technology Center. Of the 102 startups that passed screening, 40 made it to the big day to pitch. The pitch competition’s format required 2 groups of judges in order to accommodate 40 startups. The judges from these 2 groups were community leaders in Camden, non-profit organization leaders in Camden, business owners, investors, and innovators both in Camden and Philadelphia. The first round was a 90-second elevator pitch. The startup had to sell to the panel of judges in 90 seconds to move onto the round of 16. This was challenging since most of the startups have planned for a 10-minute pitch, but few were ready for a 90-second elevator pitch.
From the 40 startups that came, 16 moved onto Round 1 of Camden Catalyst.
Round 1 of Camden Catalyst
The Waterfront Ventures team opened up Camden Catalyst by sharing the mission and vision of the organization and what their hopes were for all the startups in attendance. 16 Startups will enter Round 1, and 8 Startups will move onto Round 2 of Camden Catalyst. The startups and judges divided into 2 separate rooms and Camden Catalyst officially commenced.
Round 1 Judges
Brett Buterick, Associate at Hill Wallack LLP
Shahid Rana, V.P. of Business Development at Cooper’s Ferry
Rashaan Hornsby, President at Education Over Everything Foundation, Inc.
Sean M Brown, Chief Operations Officer at DuBois Douglass Strategies
Sean O’Donnell, Partner at BALLAST IP LAW, LLP
Ryan Wertman, Co-Founder and Business Lawyer at Growth Counsel
Damon Pennington, President & CEO at ATS Group, LLC
Startups that pitched in Round 1
- Linked Noodle (Katrina Naidas)
- Jauntify (Dennis Pitcock)
- Rezzio (Jessica Sarkisian)
- Eoko (Jeremiah De Leon)
- Denial Flow (Robert Rupp)
- Rising Leaders (Jamia Santiago)
- Frostheave Fantasy Esports (Kyle Hampton)
- Networked (Roger Chinchilla)
- Invincible City Farms (Fredric Byarm)
- Unishare (Stephanie Huang)
- Engageathon (Veniece Newton)
- First Responders Live (James Corbett)
- Tribes (Liwen Ma)
- Nuj Health (Deboleena Dutta)
- Higher Hospitality (Yaz Barqawi)
Round 2 of Camden Catalyst
The success of Round 1 brought 8 semi-finalists to round 2 where they competed again for a seat to pitch at the Camden Catalyst Awards Ceremony & Final Round on October 20th 2017.
Judges for Round 2
Chris Kohl, Vice President & CIO at Vertex Inc.
Chuck Sacco, Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives & Director of the Baiada Institute at Drexel U. Close School of Entrepreneurship
Johnathan Grzybowski, Co-founder of Penji
Startups that pitched in Round 2
- Linked Noodle (Katrina Naidas)
- Denial Flow (Robert Rupp)
- Invincible City Farms (Fredric Byarm)
- Higher Hospitality (Yaz Barqawi)
- Tribes (Liwen Ma)
- Unishare (Stephanie Huang)
- Nuj Health (Deboleena Dutta)
- Engageathon (Veniece Newton)
The 8 startups pitched their ideas to the panel of experienced judges in round 2 and the finalists were determined at the conclusion of the 6 hour Camden Catalyst Pitch Competition. The 4 finalists will now have time to recuperate and plan their strategies for the final round on October 20th.
Camden Catalyst Award Ceremony & Final Round 10/20/17
This is the biggest startup event ever held in the city of Camden. Over 470 attendees came to the award ceremony to witness the very first winner of Camden Catalyst and to celebrate the birth of an emerging tech community in Camden. Attendees ranged from CEOs and executives from the major fortune 500 companies in Camden, city officials from City Hall, freeholders of Camden, Rutgers/Rowan/Camden County College representatives, to startup founders, community leaders, investors, from both sides of the bridge.
The event was a huge success and brought everyone who shares a common dream together under one roof. Camden Catalyst was the historic day where all the business owners, executives, founders, and investors who believe in Camden came together to support a new startup coming into the city. It was a day of celebration, joy, excitement, and love.
Opening Ceremony
The event opened up with Congressman Donald Norcross sharing his hope for the city and excitement for a new age of technology. Freeholder Director Lou Cappelli followed up with a talk about his efforts to bring safety and security to Camden and elaborating on the police department’s great work in the city to lower crime rates and increase public safety.
Let the final round begin!
Katrina Naidas, CEO of Linked Noodle kicked off Camden Catalyst with her 10 minute pitch about her tech startup. Her startup Linked Noodle connect students and local instructors. Instructors aren’t limited to teaching boring education-based classes. Linked Noodle is a platform for creatives to teach what they know and love best. And allow others to join in on the fun. Prospective teachers and students meet online and end with a tangible offline connection.
Robert Rupp, CEO of Denial Flow pitched second and presented his idea on solving a $250 Billion dollar health insurance issue. The mission of Denial Flow is to bring a lean and agile software to enterprise revenue cycle management while providing clean, practical solutions at a reasonable price.
Veniece Newton, CEO of Engageathon pitched third and presented her idea of providing an incentive empowerment software for students and community. Engageathon is a software platform that provides tools for school districts, nonprofits, and corporations to improve community engagement. They will use Engageathon to promote, track, and reward student engagement, outreach, and social impact.
And finally Fredric Byarm, CEO of Invincible City Farms presented his idea of building a sustainable farm in Camden to solve the food desert problem and also provide jobs for residents in Camden.
The Winner is announced!
With much excitement and anticipation in the room, the winner of the first annual Camden Catalyst Pitch Competition is announced…Invincible City Farms! The room exploded with applause while the startups all congratulate one another and come together for a group celebration.
Camden Catalyst was an exciting event to witness and brings a different kind of energy and enthusiasm to the city. It’s a much needed energy, the kind that sparks innovation, ideas, and the kind that drives people. Now the rest of Camden will have to wait and see if Invincible City Farms can live up to the hopes and expectation that was set out for the startup.
Waterfront Ventures also announced they are currently working to put together the second Camden Catalyst for 2018.
TLDR: Penji is the best graphic design service for startups because you get unlimited designs, 24-48 hour turnarounds, and flexible pricing that won’t drain your budget. Unlike premium agencies or inconsistent freelancers, Penji scales with your startup.
The best graphic design service for startups is Penji. For $499/month, get unlimited design requests delivered in 24-48 hours with a dedicated team that understands startup urgency. No contracts, no per-project fees, just reliable design support.
Startups burn through design work fast. One week, you need social posts. Next week, you’re updating your pitch deck. Then suddenly, you need a one-pager for investors. Freelancers cost too much per project, and full-time designers? Not in the budget yet. Here’s the graphic design service for startups that comes in, giving you unlimited work for predictable monthly costs.
Top Design Services Startups Actually Use
1. Penji
When you’re hunting for the best graphic design service for startups, you need speed, variety, and affordability all at once. Penji nails all three. Their design as a service platform gives you unlimited designs for $499/month with 24-48 hour turnarounds.
Why Penji works so well for startups:
They handle everything. Logos, pitch decks, social campaigns, you name it. No per-project charges. Your monthly rate stays flat whether you submit two requests or twenty.
Your dedicated team at Penji learns your brand fast. They remember your preferences for future projects instead of treating every request like the first time.
The creative support scales from simple graphics to complete brand guides. You don’t get forced into higher pricing tiers when your needs grow.
No contracts. You can pause when cash is tight and restart when you’re ready. Perfect for unpredictable startup budgets.
Startups choose Penji when they need graphic design services that match their pace without the agency price tag.
2. Superside
Superside brings agency-quality work through a subscription model. They’re great if you’ve raised significant funding and need premium creative for major campaigns. But plans start around $3,000-$5,000 monthly. Too steep for most early-stage startups.
3. Kimp
Kimp offers subscription design with multiple tiers starting around $500/month. They’re decent for basic needs. The catch? Turnaround times can stretch to 48-72 hours, and their design variety feels more limited than what Penji offers.
Conclusion
The best graphic design service for startups matches your speed and budget without compromise. Penji’s graphic design services handle everything from quick social posts to complex branding work. All for one flat monthly rate that makes financial planning actually possible.
Get Design Support That Moves at Startup Speed
Try Penji today and see why thousands of startups trust them for unlimited design work. Get your first project delivered in 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Penji better than hiring a freelancer?
Freelancers charge per project and often have slow turnarounds. Penji gives you unlimited designs for one flat monthly rate with 24-48 hour delivery. No chasing invoices or waiting for availability.
How much does Penji cost compared to other services?
Penji starts at $499/month for unlimited designs. Superside costs $3,000-$5,000 monthly. Quality freelancers charge $100-$200 per project, which adds up fast when you’re launching.
Can I get revisions with Penji?
Yes. Unlimited revisions are included in your monthly subscription. Keep requesting changes until the design is exactly what you need.
In 2025, unlimited graphic design has become a crucial part of the day-to-day operations of businesses that can’t afford to hire an in-house designer. And with more unlimited graphic design companies now backed by AI capabilities, scalability and efficiency have increased exponentially.
Let’s unpack all there is to know about unlimited graphic design providers, including features, money-back guarantees, and factors to consider when choosing.
Which Provider Should You Choose?
We’ve done the homework and curated a list of Unlimited Graphic Design providers for you and also negotiated special deals on your behalf. You can see them all below and decide which one fits your business based on your needs.
Unlimited Graphic Design Providers
What Does Unlimited Graphic Design Mean?
These unlimited graphic design services have a monthly subscription business model. That means you can sign up and cancel whenever you like. What sets them apart from your typical freelancer, agency, or in-house designer is you gain access to a workflow that is designed to be quick and to the point.
You’ll communicate with their team through Trello, email, or an online platform. The option given is dependent on the company you choose. For example, only a small selection of services provide a custom built online platform for their customers.
Once you’re connected to their workflow, you can begin submitting as many design requests as you want. Although they all claim “unlimited”, it generally means you can “create” unlimited design requests. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll work on them all at once. Usually, they just work on one design at a time. When one completes, they start the next design.
The usual turnaround time is between 1 – 2 days, and that’s just for the first draft. It doesn’t mean your entire request is complete. If you don’t like it, you can request as many revisions as you want, and that will take more time. So it can take up to a week to actually get the design complete if you have a lot of revisions.
Another thing to keep in mind is content. You need to be able to have everything ready and provide all the content needed in order for their designers to get started.
How Does On-Demand Graphic Design Work?
Most graphic design services listed above offer clients a bespoke design platform. For instance, Penji’s design tool is an all-in-one platform where designers, account managers, customers, and their team members can communicate and collaborate.
Although the steps in working with a graphic design company are similar, we’ll use Penji’s design software to share the step-by-step graphic design process.
1. Log in
Once you’ve selected the subscription plan, log in to your design tool and access your dashboard. Most of these tools are user-friendly with a minimal learning curve and prioritize user experience.
This example of Penji’s dashboard shows a list and thumbnails of ongoing design projects. The menu at the top shows the Active, Completed, Drafted, and On-hold projects.
Submitting a design brief is the first step in the on-demand graphic design process. To submit, click the +New Project button at the upper right side of the dashboard.
2. Fill in the title
Think of a relevant project title that will describe the design accurately. Writing an accurate title will make browsing through ongoing projects easier once you have a long list.
For instance, if you’re creating a company logo, you can write “Logo design” and specify the company or industry beside it if you’re handling multiple brands.
3. Choose from design categories
The next step is to choose from the many design categories. Most unlimited graphic design services have around 100+ design categories. Penji has 120+ design categories. Choose one that fits your project.
4. Write a design brief
This step is crucial when working with on-demand graphic designers, as this will make or break your project outcome. Writing a thorough, clear, and well-thought-out design brief makes it easier for designers to understand exactly what you want.
Penji’s design platform has a few reminders on the left side when writing design briefs. Ensure you follow the tips for a better design outcome.
5. Attach files and images for inspiration
Some customers can’t express themselves clearly through written instructions. You can attach files and images to support your written descriptions with visuals. Attaching sample logos also helps lead designers in the right direction. Attaching your competitors’ logos is also a way to make yours better.
You’ll also need to choose the source file type in this step or let designers pick for you.
6. Choose a brand style guide
Subscribing to unlimited graphic design services means you can request any visuals for multiple brands. Penji’s design tool lets you save and categorize your brand style guides in folders. This way, you only have to choose a branding guideline for designers to follow.
Once you’ve chosen the associated brand, click the Create project button to start the process.
7. Wait 24 to 48 hours
Although most on-demand graphic design services’ turnaround is 24 to 48 hours, some companies may take more than two days. This is due to complex projects like illustrations or web pages.
Wait for the first draft and ask for revisions until you’re 100 percent happy with the design. Download the source file, and you’re good to go!
Why Should You Sign Up for Unlimited Graphic Design Services
Subscribing to unlimited graphic design services is more convenient than hiring freelance designers.
Here are factors why many users choose to outsource their design needs to unlimited graphic design services:
- Work with vetted designers and choose from various skill sets. There is no need to search for another designer fit for a particular project. The company will assign you the most suitable designer.
- AI integration. The best unlimited graphic design providers make sure that their vetted designers have updated training and are able to take advantage of the latest tech, including AI.
- No need to worry about additional fees as you only have to pay fixed monthly rates and get unlimited designs. Revisions also come at no extra cost.
- You don’t have to worry about graphic designers going MIA and abandoning crucial projects. Each design project is managed by an account manager who will check if deadlines are met on time.
- Signing up and canceling subscriptions with on-demand graphic design services is easy. You can sign up if you need a stream of designs while setting up shop and cancel anytime without incurring cancellation fees.
- Fast 24 to 48-hour turnaround, which prevents any bottlenecks in your marketing campaigns.
- Request to change assigned designers if you’re unhappy with their work at no additional cost.
- Organize your projects and brand style guides if you request multiple brand designs. The custom design platforms make managing projects efficient and convenient.
Are they worth it?
If you have a lot of design needs, they’re definitely worth it. Being that it’s a monthly recurring investment, you’ll need to make sure that you have the need for an ongoing graphic design service. This graphic design service model is comparable to outsourcing a designer yourself, except much of all the management work is done by the company. The quality of designs and turnaround time also tends to be significantly better when outsourcing a designer yourself.
Facing severe challenges as a startup is almost inevitable, and you can’t always power through them alone. That’s why a startup advisory board is one of the smartest assets you can build when launching your business.
Many new entrepreneurs spend sleepless nights searching for solutions but still come up short. That’s why having a trusted advisory board is crucial—it fills the gaps in knowledge and experience, helping you navigate the toughest parts of your entrepreneurial journey.
Here’s why a startup advisory board is vital and how to choose the right people.
But first, a common question –
What is an advisory board?
A startup advisory board is a group of experienced professionals who provide strategic guidance to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. If you’ve ever wondered, what does an advisory board do? — they offer mostly offer the following without being directly involved in daily operations:
- Valuable insights
- Industry connections
- Mentorship
So, what is the role of a startup advisor? These advisors help founders make smarter decisions in areas like attracting investors, scaling operations, building company culture, and navigating challenges. They can also guide startups through critical stages like product development or planning an exit strategy.
With the advisory board responsibilities being met, you will have guidance in the following aspects:
- Inviting more investors
- Creating a compelling company culture
- Establishing growth techniques
- Attracting the right talent
- Retaining the right employees
- Planning and executing your exit strategy when all else fails
An entrepreneur’s relationship with the advisory board representatives is often informal and personal. This means communication is done via video chat, email, or text.
Why an Advisory Board is Vital
Some startup advisory board examples include boards composed of people with deep industry experience and can open doors that founders might not reach on their own, such as:
- Former CEOs
- Investors
- Legal experts
- Marketing leaders
Some entrepreneurs forgo the aspect or take it lightly due to the costs of startup advisory board compensation. Is it worth paying these individuals? Here are the benefits of having an advisory board:
- They can fill knowledge gaps that will enhance your performance as the CEO of your startup
- They will add credibility to your startup and boost trust among customers and investors
- They give you business advice that you might never think of due to a lack of experience
- You’ll become trustworthy in the eyes of external and internal stakeholders
How to Choose the Right Members for your Advisory Board
Selecting the right members for your advisory board is crucial, as you need people to add value to your business. Here’s how:
1. Assess your Knowledge and Needs
It’s crucial to determine why you’re choosing an advisory board in the first place. For instance, data reveals that 65% of respondents sought accounting or finance competencies for advisory boards while 51% sought expertise in sales and marketing. That said, look within yourself to find the right people. What do you need help for? Is it to hit the ground running or perhaps to recession-proof your business? Assess your experience, knowledge, and needs. For instance, if you need someone knowledgeable about finding funding, choose someone with connections to investors.
2. Take Advantage of Personal Relationships
The purpose of a business mentor is to have someone you can turn to when you need them the most. They act as your confidant and trusted ally. If you already have someone in your circle whom you think can add value to your business, see if you can leverage that relationship.
3. Do Your Due Diligence
As responsible entrepreneurs, it’s your job to screen candidates thoroughly. Do your due diligence and perform background checks on each candidate. Do they have a proven track record? Have they garnered some positive testimonials from previous clients? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Do they have advocacies or different principles that might cloud their judgment? By aligning your values and beliefs, ensure that the candidate is the right fit.
4. Attend Entrepreneurial Events
Another way to find like-minded individuals is to attend business events and conferences. These are some occasions when business-minded people come together to share ideas and experiences. It’s also an excellent way to meet others who can potentially be your business mentor.
Conclusion
Building a startup advisory board can be one of the most valuable steps you take as a founder. It’s more than just gathering experts; it’s about surrounding yourself with people who can offer wisdom, challenge your ideas, and guide you through tough decisions.
The right advisors can help you grow faster, avoid costly mistakes, and open doors you might not reach on your own. By carefully selecting and nurturing these relationships, you can strengthen your business, sharpen your leadership, and create a company that’s built to last.
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MJ Jones
January 5, 2018 at 4:16 pm
In round one there was another company called LawDecoder that pitched as well. there were 16 companies in round 1 .
LawDecoder
June 13, 2018 at 2:45 pm
LawDecoder was in the first round and just was left out above. We would like to be recognized for the achievement.