Charlie Kirkconnell and Alyssa Manderson Present Bahadur Lal with the 2025 Project of the Year Award

The 5^th annual Cayman Islands Business Design Competition “Pitch Day” took place Saturday, 5 April 2025 at the Harquail Studio Theatre. Ten Cayman-born projects competed for USD $18,000 in cash prizes and wraparound business services.

Produced by Enterprise Cayman and sponsored by Cayman Enterprise City (CEC), the annual Business Design Competition invites Cayman’s entrepreneurs to showcase their new and innovative business ideas. Programme finalists took part in an intensive series of workshops, project advisor meetings, networking events, and a “Pitch Day” where they presented their finals projects to a panel of judges, which included Rich Dyer Co-Founder of Massive Media, and new to the stage this year we had Gannon Rutty EY Analyst with a Masters in Entrepreneurial Studies, Vladimir Shubert entrepreneur and 2021 competition finalist, Matt Vaughan Managing Director of FetchTech SEZC and Venture Investor, and Antoleen Williams Deputy Director of the Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development and 2021 competition finalist.

Connan Hill of Cayman National Bank Present ChipIn with the 2025 People’s Choice Award

“This year’s cohort set a new benchmark for what’s possible,” said Alyssa Manderson, Programme Manager at Enterprise Cayman. “The level of creativity, insight, and execution we saw during Pitch Day was truly exceptional — a clear reflection of the rising entrepreneurial talent in Cayman. It’s been amazing to witness how far this programme has come, and we’re thrilled to continue nurturing these innovators through our Launch Labs Studios initiative. These projects have real potential, and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing several of them move from concept to market in the near future.”

The Competition was launched in 2021, on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help Cayman’s creative individuals and entrepreneurs access key resources to identify and validate new ideas and opportunities to commercialise. To date 43 Cayman-born business ventures, including Emailchaser, Island Pet Co., and BizHub, have completed the competition and are part of a growing community of entrepreneurs.

“Our Business Design Competition is about more than just pitching ideas — it’s about strengthening our innovation ecosystem. It’s about empowering individuals to explore real-world problems, validate meaningful solutions, and move one step closer to creating thriving businesses that can succeed both locally and globally,” said Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO of CEC and Chairman of Enterprise Cayman. “We have developed and continue to develop a platform where innovators can connect and grow in a welcoming business environment — a place where individuals, local businesses, and global ventures can thrive!” 

2025 Competition Finalists: 

• ALYX – Your customizable AI for Mind & Emotional Well-being. Support, guidance and care, anytime, anywhere by Emanuela Passaniti
• AssessMind – Instant online dyslexia assessments by expert tutors — affordable, accessible, and tailored to your needs by Brandon McBride and Amelia Kemp
• Blockchain IDV – Identity verification innovation through Blockchain Tcehnology by Kenneth Adumekwe, Yoshneck Mutomba, and Moti Mashiah
• ChipIn – Smart Payments for shared moments by Shannon Hill and Lodeane Kelly
• Cogniscent Learning – Revolutionising education through AI-driven personalised learning by Michael Staniewicz
• EcoMetric – Eco-friendly solutions for a cleaner tomorrow by Albis Amaya
• EmpowerAbility Solutions – Where innovation empowers ability by Dr. Eustache Placide and Dr. Annette Murphy
• Fass Savings – A local bartering app aimed at facilitating community connections through cost-free commerce. Where Commerce Meets Culture by Aleigha General
• StateMate – AI-driven financial reporting for effortless US GAAP compliance by Bahadur Lal
• The Sunny Collective – Where Caribbean art meets the world by Aleksandra Andzic and Fernando Dorneles

2025 Programme Instructors & Project Advisors: Melesia Adderley, Baltasar Aroso, Thais Ducent, Rich Dyer, Kaitlyn Elphinstone, Bruce Gordon, Khurram Hassan, Joshua Hecht, Darren Jack, David Manouchehri, Bartosz Mozyrko, Carolee Nunez, Edmund Read, Walker Romanica, Cassandra Shea, George Wauchope, Hollie Whitelocke, Omara Whittaker, Brianna Wilson, and Qamar Zaman.

2025 Competition Awards & Winners: 

• The People’s Choice Award was presented to ChipIn, Smart Payments for shared moments by Shannon Hill and Lodeane Kelly. Members of the public were invited to vote on the “People’s Choice Award” which included a USD $2,000 cash prize sponsored by Cayman National Bank.

• The Sustainability Award for a business design that champions regeneration and sustainability, showcasing inspiring, new, and unconventional approaches was presented to AssessMind by Brandon McBride and Amelia Kemp who are developing an affordable, accessible, and tailored online dyslexia assessments platform. The project received a USD $2,000 cash prize sponsored by JB Advisory Services.
• The Innovation Award for an innovative business design that is inspiring, new and/or unconventional was presented to Cogniscent Learning, Revolutionising education through AI-driven personalised learning by Michael Staniewicz. Michael received a USD $2,000 cash prize sponsored by ZEAL.
• The Community Impact Award for a business design that makes a difference in our local and/or global communities, was presented to Dr. Eustache Placide and Dr. Annette Murphy for their project EmpowerAbility Solutions, where innovation empowers ability. The EmpowerAbility Solutions team received a USD $2,000 cash prize sponsored by eShore.

• The Project of the Year for a business design that shines above and beyond competition expectations was presented to Bahadur Lal for StateMate, AI-driven financial reporting for effortless US GAAP compliance. Bahadur took home the grand prize of USD $10,000 sponsored by Cayman Enterprise City, complimentary incorporation of company sponsored by HSM, a complimentary marketing support sponsored by ZEAL, and five complementary mentoring sessions sponsored by Emerge Technology Lab.
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• All competition finalist received a business support “Prize Pack” valued at $8,000 which includes legal sessions, marketing support services including professional headshots, reduced rate of incorporation, Business development and outbound support, continued mentoring support for award winners, networking events, special discounts, scholarships on courses, a complimentary Launch Labs Studios membership, and access to CEC’s Angel Investor Network. Thank you to our “Prize Pack” sponsors – Cayman Enterprise City, HSM, Emailchaser, HubSpot, Emerge Technology Lab, HubSpot, and the Cayman Islands Investment Angel Society (CIIAS).

“The Business Design competition is more than just a contest – it’s a launchpad for innovation that directly serves the Cayman community. By spotlighting purpose-driven solutions like EmpowerAbility Solutions, Enterprise Cayman empowers local entrepreneurs to solve real challenges, create jobs, and build inclusive futures. It proves that Cayman doesn’t just consume innovation – we create it, for our people, and by our people,” said Dr. Eustache Placide and Dr. Annette Murphy from EmpowerAbility Solutions, winner of The Community Impact Award.

“Thank you to Enterprise Cayman for producing this competition. Going through this process has taught me that if you apply yourself to anything, a lot is possible,” said Bahadur Lal from StateMate, winner of The Project of the Year.

“It was a great experience. Being around other persons in the same stage of their business ideation, gave us the confidence and motivation to stick with our idea, ask the right questions, and to get feedback,” said Shannon Hill from ChipIn, winner of The People’s Choice Award.

“Being part of this year’s Business Design Competition was reflective, fun, and has really helped me get organized and think through some of my ideas better,” said Michael Staniewicz from Cogniscent Learning, winner of The Innovation Award.

To watch the 2025 Business Design Competition event, visit the Enterprise Cayman YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@enterprisecayman3600. To register for upcoming sessions in our Launch Labs Studios Entrepreneurship Workshop Series, please visit enterprisecayman.ky/workshop-series.