Dotted—a Dallas-based platform offering a reproductive health app for logging cycles and managing conditions like endometriosis and PCOS—took home the big prize Wednesday at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ 2026 “The Pitch,” North Texas’ premier social innovation competition.

Held at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, the competition awarded a total of $270,000 in funding to support five visionary social entrepreneurs dedicated to improving access to education, health, and income in North Texas.

Dotted named Social Innovator of the Year

Dotted’s founder and CEO, Dejanae Parkman, gets a winning embrace at last night’s The Pitch. [Photo: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas]

After a series of live pitches and Q&A sessions Wednesday evening, Dotted was named Social Innovator of the Year, earning a total of $115,000 in prize funding, including $60,000 for the top honor, to expand and accelerate its impact across North Texas.

The award recognized Dotted for its work to transform women’s healthcare by expanding access to trusted resources and qualified medical professionals through its digital platform.

Dotted was founded by CEO Dejanae Parkman, who developed the startup’s app after being frustrated that conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can take years to be diagnosed. According to United Way, she plans to use her platform to provide period tracking, education, and access to trusted medical professionals to millions of women across the U.S.

Dotted does more than offer its proactive health app for women—it also sells reusable period underwear made from bamboo fibers.

Showcasing the power of ‘bold ideas’

“The Pitch continues to showcase the power of bold ideas to drive meaningful change across North Texas,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton President and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

“Each of this year’s finalists demonstrated extraordinary vision and commitment to addressing our community’s most pressing challenges,” Sampson added in a statement. While we celebrate tonight’s winners, the true impact will be felt in the lives improved through these innovative solutions.”

Additional awards presented during The Pitch included, per United Way:

The $30,000 Audience Choice Award, presented by Sara and Gary Ahr, was awarded to Dotted, as determined by votes from audience members in attendance.

The $20,000 Innovation Award, sponsored by Vistra, was awarded to Dallas-based Cooking for the Crowd, which provides affordable, nutritious meals to nonprofit organizations, freeing up resources to advance core missions. This award recognizes the finalist with the highest innovation score, as determined by the judges.

The $20,000 Impact Award, sponsored by Goldman Sachs, was awarded to Dallas-based From Ordinary to Extraordinary. This award recognizes the finalist with the strongest potential for measurable community impact. From Ordinary to Extraordinary equips domestic violence survivors with career training to build stability.

The $15,000 Presentation Prize, sponsored by LBK Roofing, was awarded to From Ordinary to Extraordinary for excellence in storytelling and delivery.

Other finalists at the event included #TeenWritersProject, which equips teen writers with workshops, publishing opportunities and paid internships that help them write, publish and earn; and Restorative Farms, which creates farms on unused tracks of urban land, improving food access and economic opportunities through training and employment in agriculture in underserved areas.

All five finalists received an Accelerator Prize of $25,000 sponsored by March Tocqueville Fellows, in recognition of their participation in the Social Innovation Accelerator.

Supporting and scaling social innovation 

The Pitch is the culminating event of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Social Innovation Accelerator, a program designed to identify, support, and scale innovative solutions that improve access to education, income, and health across North Texas, the nonprofit said.

Each year, selected fellows participate in an intensive development experience that includes seed funding, mentorship, and strategic guidance. From each cohort, five finalists are chosen to present at The Pitch.

Since its 2013 launch, United Way’s Social Innovation Accelerator has supported the development of 103 social entrepreneurs, empowering their organizations to raise nearly $80 million and positively impact more than 579,000 North Texans, deepening impact across the region.

Judging The Pitch

During last evening’s event, each finalist delivered a live pitch followed by a Q&A session with judges. Finalists were evaluated based on innovation, equity, impact, sustainability, and presentation.

This year’s judging panel included Scott Mueller, Head of the Southwest Region for Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs; Kit Collins, SVP and Territory Sales Executive, Treasury Management, PNC; Mahiri Takai, Brand Strategist and Host of Cook Dad Cook; Amber Venz Box, Co-Founder & President of LTK; and Cheri Norris, Founder & CEO of Cornbread Hustle.

The event was presented by sponsor Goldman Sachs and powered by PNC, as well as Sara & Gary Ahr, Vistra, Fossil Group, Toyota, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, and EY.

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