Finalists Announced for 2018 Attman Competition, Nov. 13 - This Year, It's All Women
October 25, 2018
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739

Each year, the Leonard and Phyllis Attman Competitive Business Prize Competition showcases many of the University of Baltimore community's most talented and driven entrepreneurs. And 2018 is no exception: A multitude of students—including undergraduates, graduates and recent alumni, plus, this year, for the first time ever, exclusively women—representing a wide range of academic backgrounds and disciplines, submitted applications for their enterprising ideas.
In mid-October, a team of preliminary judges, culled from UB and the Baltimore startup ecosystem, narrowed the pool down to six businesses for the live finale. The competition, sponsored by UB's Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 13, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center (home of the Merrick School of Business), 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave. The event is free and open to the public; registration is required and details are listed below.
"This is a great group of UB students and alumni, and I'm especially enthused that they're all women," said Henry Mortimer, director of the center. "The energy in that room is going to be amazing."
This year's finalists are:
- Brianna Billups, B.S. '18, will pitch Fully Grown, which is on a mission to eradicate food deserts by growing our communities the way we grow our food: fully and sustainably.
- Willow Hendershot, B.S. '20, represents Prevail, the first in a series of video games that focus on mental illness awareness. In Prevail, players progress through the story of someone struggling with PTSD.
- Kareema McLendon, B.S. '20, whose eponymous fashion startup is a wholesale bridal firm focused on designing, manufacturing and selling bridal gowns to women aged 30-50.
- Crystal Santiful, B.A. '19, will pitch Chrystal Tutu Paradise, a business that is dedicated to creating custom fashion designs for any occasion.
- Mikita Thompson, B.S. '20, founder of The Party Room, a multi-functional event hall that is fully equipped with everything customers need to host social events.
- Brittany Whitby, B.S. '18, MBA '20, and Demi Abromaitis, BS '17, who teamed up to create Charmony Naturals, which offers a mix of science, joy, and passion to create a unique line of hemp cosmetics for a diversity of needs.
This dynamic group will present before a live audience and a panel of expert judges—including Laura Neuman, an entrepreneur and former Anne Arundel County Executive; Angela Singleton, The Pre-Seed Fund at TEDCO; and Deb Tillett, president of ETC—to compete for prizes totaling $5,000, along with runner-up and crowd favorite awards.
Register for the event at our Eventbrite page.
Now in its fifth year, and a highlight of Global Entrepreneurship Week on the University of Baltimore campus, the Attman Competitive Business Prize is designed to provide seed funding for and generate awareness of new and emerging innovative business ventures nurtured by the UB community.
Learn more about the Attman Competitive Business Prize.
The University of Baltimore Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation directs support and assistance to UB students and alumni interested in building or growing an enterprise. We do this through support, culture, events, education and research, and connecting with the business community. Meet with one of our counselors to discuss launching or growing your business. Visit the center at www.ubalt.edu/cei or call 410.837.4892 for more information.