A New London woman who started a canine wellness company earned the $10,000 1st-place prize in seCTer’s fourth Ledge Light Launch Pitch Competition.
Melissa Kibler pitched her Sid & Marty’s Longevity Lab startup to the panel of local judges during a timed presentation before a crowd at Tox Brewing in downtown New London in September.
Five other entrepreneurs also made pitches and the top three earned seCTer grants. The Ledge Light Launch Pitch Competition was created by seCTer staff and is funded by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.
Sid & Marty’s is named for Melissa’s late canine companion Sid who died of cancer in March at just 5. Marty is Sid’s surviving brother. In honor of Sid, who helped Melissa through her own challenges, Melissa now produces small batch, therapeutically dosed nutritional products for dogs. The flagship product, the Morning Vitality Blend, adds functional nutrition and hydration to a dog’s existing diet. The funding will help with professional packaging, inventory, brand assets, and marketing ahead of a larger launch.
Second place, and $5,000, went to Carrie Ashton Entertainment. Carrie pitched an expansion of her existing entertainment business into a digital wellness audio platform. Using her experience as a professional singer and voice artist, she plans to create sleep stories, guided meditations, breathing exercises, short reset sessions, focus content, and children’s sleep content. The goal is to turn her voice into a scalable digital product with subscription and B2B licensing opportunities.
Third place, and $3,000, went to Uncle Earl’s, a Connecticut-based nonalcoholic adult beverage company owned by Kevin Alan. Its first product, Uncle Earl’s Mudshine, is a nonalcoholic bourbon alternative designed to provide the ritual and experience of a traditional spirit without the alcohol. The initial launch is planned as a limited run of 250 numbered bottles in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Other entrepreneurs competing were David Brannan, pitching KAI Works, an AI-powered back office staff for small businesses; Jennifer Tattersall, pitching Ledge Light KAP Program, an expansion of her existing psychotherapy practice to create a dedicated trauma-focused Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy program, and Shellena Pitterson, pitching an expansion of her commercial cleaning operation, Orchid Maids with floor care equipment and a commercial vehicle.
