The Power of The Pitch names 10 women founders as semifinalists

Ten women entrepreneurs have been named semifinalists for The Power of The Pitch, a Toronto visibility platform from I Am Unbreakable Global Media that connects women-led ventures with media, mentors, investors and funding pathways. The finalists will pitch on Oct. 26 at The Quay in Toronto, with two more founders selected for a Spotlight Series.

Why it matters: - The Power of The Pitch is designed to help women-led ventures gain visibility, credibility and access to capital. - The program pushes founders to pair storytelling with business evidence, a combination organizers say helps them win customers, partners and investors. - The event is tied to a broader mission to empower one billion women to be seen, amplified and funded.

What happened: - Ten women entrepreneurs were named semifinalists for The Power of The Pitch, a national visibility platform created by I Am Unbreakable Global Media. - The semifinalists will present at The Quay in Toronto on Oct. 26, 2026. - Two additional entrepreneurs were selected for the Spotlight Series: Rockstar Founders to Watch, presented with Guardian Women. - The Power of The Pitch is presented by I Am Unbreakable Global Media in partnership with The Scotiabank Women Initiative.

The details: - The semifinalists are Domenique Mastronardi of Beck’s Broth, Miki Talebi of oomé, Dani Kagan of Mave & Chez, Mackensey Bacon of NodeAI, Urnaa Yondon of YGEOSCIENCE, Sabine MacDonald of Somanai Energy Lounge, Latchmi Raghunanan of Maman Biomedical, Hannah Choi of Spotlite, Mary Forhan of Bariatric Technologies and Yulia Druzhnikova of PioneerIP. - The Spotlight Series will feature Kathy Vurinaris of Sleaks and Afshan Ahmad of NeuraVue. - The live program will include five-minute pitches, judges’ questions and strategic conversations. - Judges will assess each founder’s customer need, evidence of demand, revenue model, growth plan, market understanding and leadership. - The judging panel includes Sarah Jordan, Michele Romanow, Moriah Linton, Micha Choi, Chantal McNeily and Dejana Du. - Dr. Deborah Rosati will serve as MC, with Chris McMartin as co-host. - The semifinalists are competing for a chance to advance to the finals at The Power of I Am Summit on Feb. 22, 2027. - The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by celebration and networking from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Between the lines: - Founder storytelling is being framed as a leadership tool, not just a pitch technique. - Adrianne Fekete, founder and CEO of I Am Unbreakable Global Media, said a strong pitch reveals how a founder thinks, why she acts and whether she can bring others along with her. - Fekete said story creates connection, evidence builds credibility and clarity gives people confidence to act. - The platform is built to keep supporting applicants beyond the competition through media, mentorship, strategic networks and potential funding pathways. - I Am Unbreakable Global Media also recognizes the Top 20 founders and every entrepreneur who applied or was nominated.

What's next: - The semifinalists will pitch live in Toronto on Oct. 26, 2026. - Winners and finalists will move toward The Power of I Am Summit on Feb. 22, 2027. - I Am Unbreakable Global Media says it will continue making introductions and supporting visibility for founders who applied or were nominated. - More information is available through the company's LinkedIn page, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X.

The bottom line: - The Power of The Pitch is positioning storytelling and business fundamentals as a combined test of whether women-led startups are ready for growth.