McLean, Va – A panel of expert judges awarded WhereToGo411.com a $20,000 grant as part of a national competition.
The New U: News Entrepreneurs Working through UNITY project announced December 10 that its two 2013 seed grant winners have been selected based on three-fourths-weighted judges vote combined with a one-fourth crowd-sourced peer vote.
The winners from participating organizations and unaffiliated groups are Eunice Nuekie Cofie, CEO/Founder of “EthnicDermMedia,” and Kathy Times, Co-founder of “Wheretogo411.com.” Times and Cofie are graduates of Florida A&M University.
“This grant will help spread awareness about a unique tool designed to help grow the African-American business class, and spur economic development in communities that suffer disproportionately from economic neglect,” said Times. “I’m ecstatic and want to thank the New U judges for this awesome gift that will help us fuel a national campaign; it will change the economic reality of urban communities across America,” she added.
As in past years, program co-directors Doug Mitchell and Alli Joseph felt that using crowd-sourcing as part of the decision-making process was the most equitable way to choose winners. “After receiving feedback from past grant recipients, camp participants and our panel of judges, we adjusted the formula for deciding who wins. We wanted the decision to be less of a popularity contest and more of an experientially informed decision by experts,” said Doug Mitchell, program Co-director. “The open public vote remains a vital part of the process, as our judges get to see how our contestants ‘sell’ others on what they are doing.”
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