‘Something powerful happens’: Silver Spring entrepreneur wins EmpowHer pitch competition

Minal Amin takes top prize for youth-focused start-up

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March 26, 2026 4:34 p.m. | Updated: March 26, 2026 4:35 p.m.

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An electric energy pulsed through the room as Silver Spring entrepreneur Minal Amin stepped to the lectern March 19 to discuss her youth-focused start-up at The Universities at Shady Grove’s Conference and Events Center in Rockville.

“When young people design their own experiences, something powerful happens,” Amin told an audience of more than 200 people gathered for the Maryland Women’s Business Center’s (MWBC) EmpowHer Live Pitch Competition. “They show up, they connect, they find their voice.”

Amin, CEO and founder of the Feenix Collaborative, was the first of six female entrepreneurs to pitch her business at the competition. Contestants were selected from MWBC’s Founders Rising graduating class of 20 to compete for more than $6,000 in prize money, including a $3,000 top award.

In a format similar to the TV reality show Shark Tank, each entrepreneur had three minutes to pitch, followed by questions from a panel of judges about business models, marketing strategies and long-term growth plans. Judges emphasized clarity, preparation and storytelling—key skills for entrepreneurs seeking investment.

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Pitches came from Montgomery County–based businesses ranging from executive coaching firm Veraz Human Strategies, founded by Paula Malozowski, to health care innovation company Salt Perspective, led by Dr. Stefany Holguin. The top prize went to Amin, whose Feenix Collaborative partners with youth to design extracurricular programs tailored to their interests and needs.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Amin, 50, spent nearly a decade as a Foreign Service health officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development. She was among thousands laid off when the agency was shut down last year by the Trump administration.

Preparation has played a key role in the success of her business venture. Since launching Feenix Collaborative last summer, Amin said she has completed three business development programs, including a Harvard-led boot camp for female entrepreneurs.

“I spent a lot of time on my pitch deck and script,” Amin said in an interview with Bethesda Today. “I turned to advisers and mentors to get feedback and really understand what makes a strong pitch.”

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Despite decades of public speaking experience, Amin said the competition pushed her outside her comfort zone.

“I’ve spoken in front of large groups for most of my career,” she said. “But delivering a three-minute pitch while competing against others is different. I was anxious, I was stressed, and I was very glad when I was done.”

The timing of the win aligned with the launch of Feenix Collaborative’s youth-led design and innovation workshop. Amin said the prize money will support student stipends, materials and the testing of extracurricular prototypes created by participating youth.

“I had so many parents come up to me afterward and share how their child struggles to find an extracurricular that fits,” she said. “I think the idea resonates because it’s simple, relatable and deeply needed.”

Organizers emphasized the pitch competition was about more than prize money, highlighting the importance of expanding access to capital and support for female entrepreneurs—particularly women of color.

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“Every company starts with someone brave enough to share an idea,” said Allyson Redpath, founder of Citrine Angels, a nonprofit that invests in women-led startups, and an adviser to the business founders. “Today was about seeing that courage in action.”

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine