Contestants and members of the NBA Foundation pose for a photo at the 2025 NBA Pitch Competition Finals.
SAN FRANCISCO — As the NBA prepared for All-Star Weekend in the Bay Area, the NBA Foundation hosted the fourth annual All-Star Pitch Competition Finals on Feb. 13 at the Moscone Center.
Seven entrepreneurs gave their pitch to a panel of judges in hopes of receiving awards up to $75,000 for their start-up companies. The NBA Foundation, along with the Golden State Warriors and Kapor Center, aimed to help innovators with the necessary tools, resources and financial support while providing access to funding opportunities through the All-Star Pitch Competition.
“Win tonight, get the money (and) go from there,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said ahead of the event. “These folks here tonight were selected from among hundreds of applicants, so truly, just making this stage is a huge deal.”
The seven finalists were chosen through the semifinal round on Dec. 4. They include Jodi Anderson, Eve Idusuyi, Damien McDuffie, Bakari Grant, Leandrew Robinson, Arthur Garcia and Peter Njongwe. After weeks of intensive training and mentorship led by the Kapor Center, the finalists pitched in front of a panel of judges including Angela Yee, Chase Koch, Becky Quick, Spencer Skates and Chiney Ogwumike.
“One thing that’s constant is the Warriors’ commitment to entrepreneurialism and what the NBA Foundation does,” Warriors CEO Joe Lacob said. “My personal background is venture capital — 30 years of starting small businesses. It’s really a great honor for me to be involved here today.”
The winners of the finals included Anderson of Rézme (first place), Grant of Wellnest (second place) and Garcia of Trez (third place). In addition, American Express awarded funding in connection with the first-ever American Express Community All-Star award to Leandrew Robinson of PosterChild – a startup that leverages AI to turn community stories into content for nonprofits to amplify their impact.
“I’m extremely happy we won the AMEX award because the product that we build serves nonprofits and helps them better market themselves, fundraise and stay around longer to make change. The money is great, but the opportunity to partner with the American Express is even more awesome,” Robinson said.
Anderson, whose start-up uses technology to provide tools for job candidates previously involved with the justice system, said society is in a unique political and technological time for advancement.
“People seem to be unified in solving this particular problem for America,” Anderson said.
Garcia said he encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to apply for opportunities like the NBA All-Star Competition and working with the NBA Foundation.
“Focus on the problem to share your message and work with the world,” Garcia said, whose business also helps with flexible payroll options and tax filings.
“If they’re considering applying for the pitch competition in Los Angeles, go for it. You don’t know unless you try.”
Anderson also said it is important to dream bigger than the confines of your circumstances.
“Things may seem impossible until you actually go out and try to do them,” Anderson said.
How the finalists got here
As the NBA aims to continue its global efforts, it seemed appropriate that Anderson was abroad in China when he learned about the NBA Pitch Competition.
“There was a lot of mission alignment,” Anderson said. “I’ve seen the NBA Foundation do work with nonprofits I’ve intersected with, particularly helping Black and Brown youth get jobs (and get) back into schools. It seemed like a natural fit.”
Throughout the process, many contestants were looking to take away more than just funding from this experience, such as seeing how deep their product could go beyond their network, Anderson said.
“The NBA brings a different set of clientele to the table and the reception from those companies and partners really motivated us in terms of the next set of features that we’re going to build out,” Anderson said.
Part of getting to the finals includes preparing the perfect pitch, which takes months to practice. Contestants had to prepare everything from business models to tackling different challenges and telling their stories.
Garcia said discussing the pain points and solving those issues are essential in the pitch.
“The importance of coming off as genuine is one of the keys to a good pitch,” Garcia said. “Nobody knows your business more than you do.”
Garcia said he hopes his message connects entrepreneurs’ children as they see how their parents strive to provide.
“One day, you will recognize, respect and appreciate what you saw your parents doing for you,” Garcia said. “You’ll be able to tell your story and maybe build a business.”
Working with the NBA Foundation
Building a relationship with the NBA Foundation continues even after this event.
“If we could be of value and add to the NBA Foundation and the partners that they work with, that’s the type of relationship that we want,” he said.
As for using the cash awards, both companies aim to use it to reach their next milestones.
Anderson said Rézme already has its eyes set on developing its next app feature. Garcia said the award will help accelerate their tech and AI evolution.
“There’s just a lot more we could do with that in terms of geo-locating into certain hiring jurisdictions,” Anderson said. “We want to do that and pour some more resources which unlocks revenue potential and also enterprise clients who want more advanced features.”
You can learn more about the NBA Foundation and the All-Star Pitch competition here.
