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Freimuth, NEW Compost LLC win 2023 NEW Launch Alliance Pitch Event

Preempt Physical Therapy, Kids in Combat Boots also among New North entrepreneurial winners

NEW Compost LLC, an eco-friendly business idea of entrepreneur Connor Freimuth, was the winner of the NEW Launch Alliance Pitch Event, held Nov. 30 at TitletownTech in Green Bay. Preempt Physical Therapy LLC and Kids in Combat Boots took second and third place, respectively. The three winning entries emerged from a group of 12 entrepreneurial pitches which had advanced from local pitch competitions held across Northeast Wisconsin in mid-November.

Along with receiving prize money, the three winners will be invited to give an update to an even wider investor and business audience during the New North Summit on June 6, 2024, at Lambeau Field.

“It was so impressive to see the high number of great business ideas brought forward by our New North entrepreneurial community,” says Barb LaMue, president and CEO of New North Inc. “We look forward to watching all of the participating startups grow in the coming months and years. We are grateful to TitletownTech for being the location sponsor, CLA as our reception sponsor, WBD for its financial sponsorship of the local and regional award funds, and Headway for its application-platform technology.”

The winning entrepreneurial pitch was NEW Compost LLC, presented by Connor Freimuth of Chilton. He received the first-place prize money of $2,000.

NEW Compost LLC is guided by the principal that soil health is public health; Freimuth notes that 60 percent of organic waste materials go to Wisconsin landfills and that our food is becoming less nutritious. The startup offers both products and services to help stem these issues.
Partnering with a plant cultivator, it utilizes sustainable eco-friendly organic products and methodologies to reduce the need for century-old, conventional cultivation practices. It repopulates and sustains a living ecosystem in the soil.

NEW Compost LLC offers biologically complete compost/vermicompost (living soil), liquid compost extract and Gold Rush, a plant probiotic and booster. All of its products add beneficial soil microbes that restore and regenerate soil microbiomes.

It markets to house-plant owners, local homeowners with outdoor landscape plants/lawns, landscape professionals, hydroponic cultivators, greenhouse growers, specialty crop growers (i.e., wineries and orchards) and family-owned farms.

More information on NEW Compost LLC can be found at www.newcompostwi.com.

Second place and $1,000 in prize money went to Preempt Physical Therapy LLC of Oshkosh, presented by Dr. Sara Ziegele. The startup is designed to help businesses reduce worker’s comp costs and lost workdays by shifting the prevention initiative from top-down to bottom-up.

National Safety Council statistics show that work-injury costs in 2021 totaled $167 billion, averaging out to $1,080 per worker. With Wisconsin being an intensive manufacturing state, Ziegele endeavors to help workers recover from costly preventative overuse injuries and educate people on the ‘why’ behind their injuries, resulting in safer, more sustainable work.

Preempt Physical Therapy LLC provides a three-step process, which begins with a workplace-risk analysis, followed by a leadership seminar and employee educational programs.

Third place was won by Kids in Combat Boots, presented by Deanne Herber of Sheboygan. The startup provides a community network and recognition program that supports and recognizes service-connected children based on the fact that military service is a family commitment and children serve and sacrifice in their own way.

According to Military OneSource, there are more than 1.6 million military-affiliated children, including 933,412 between the ages of 6 and 18. A 2021 military family support programming survey showed that service members believe a continuity of programs and activities between duty stations is important to their children’s development, happiness, mental health and overall well-being.

Kids in Combat Boots provides a sustained recognition program, resources and a globally accessible community. It shares the stories of military children in a manner that builds community through common experiences and resources, using a shared network and technology that recognizes students through award accommodation.

Others making entrepreneurial pitches at the competition were AMW Arts (presented by Arianna McCormick-Wilson, Bodhi Bow Wow LLC (presented by Quentin Wood), Food FIXR (presented by Grace Hameister), HeyGov, Inc.-ClerkMinutes (presented by Dustin Overbeck), Little Sips Play Café (presented by Mikala and Joey DeBone), Molo Asian BBQ (presented by Ping Cheng), Protean Footwear (presented by Michaela Heling), SmartWell LLC (presented by Christian Timm) and Vente Tours (presented by Emily Hubbard).

Judges for the pitch competition Tara Carr of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay SBDC, Brenda Dvorachek of CLA, Taylor Reetz of Nicolet National Bank, Jeff Sachse of Rawley Point Economic Advising, Tyler Swenson of WBD Inc., and Lisa Taylor of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

A total of 39 entrepreneurial pitches previously were made at local qualifying events across the New North region in collaboration with 10 local partners during Startup Week in Wisconsin. These events – Accelerate Sheboygan County, Audible, Envision This, Fast Pitch, LevelUp and Lighthouse Launch – were hosted by the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, Greater Green Bay Chamber, Envision Greater Fond du Lac, FVTC Venture Center, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, UW Oshkosh SBDC, UW Extension, Progress Lakeshore, Door County Economic Development Corporation and Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation.

The NEW Launch Alliance was formed to create a more robust and productive entrepreneurial ecosystem across the 18 counties of the New North region, connecting entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, educators, accelerators and other resources.