The winners of the ninth annual The Pitch were announced last week by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, with Housing Connector named Social Innovator of the Year, earning a total of $110,000 in prize funding, including the $60,000 Social Innovator of the Year award, delivered by Amazon.

“The Pitch is one of the most inspiring events in the Southwest, showcasing bold, forward-thinking solutions to challenges facing our community,” Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president & CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, said in a statement. “Each finalist tonight demonstrated ingenuity, passion, and a commitment to driving meaningful change. While we celebrate the winners, the real victory is for the North Texas community that will benefit from these groundbreaking initiatives.”

The Pitch 2025 Winner Vangelic Parker celebrates her win [Photo: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas]

The event, held April 9 at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, awarded a total of $295,000 in funding to support visionary social entrepreneurs dedicated to improving access to education, income, and health in North Texas.

Five finalists pitched at the event.

The United Way said that Housing Connector’s innovative approach to creating a collaborative affordable housing model for low-income community members by working with property owners to reduce application criteria “stood out as a transformative solution to one of North Texas’ most pressing challenges.” Housing Connector is led by Managing Director Vangelic Parker, who presented her nonprofit’s pitch before the event’s judges—and took home two oversized winning checks.

Other awards went to…

In addition to the Social Innovator of the Year award, several other social entrepreneurs were recognized for their innovation, impact, and entrepreneurial spirit:

The Pitch 2025 Audience Choice award winner Jason Hernandez [Photo: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas]

The $30,000 Audience Choice Award, sponsored by Sara & Gary Ahr, went to La Tiendita, a nonprofit grocery store and resource center, empowering at-risk Latino students with internships and support to graduate from high school. This award was selected by the live audience voting for their compelling pitch and vision for change.

The $25,000 Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, sponsored by Satori Capital, was awarded to Housing Connector.

Impact Award winner Laura Hayes [Photo: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas]

The $20,000 Impact Award, sponsored by Toyota, was presented to Learning Bridge, an innovative video game that assists students in navigating college access and planning their educational future.

Innovation Award winner Saki Milton [Photo: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas]

The $20,000 Innovation Award, sponsored by Vistra Corp., was awarded to The GEMS Camp, which provides access to quality STEM education for underrepresented girls in North Texas.

Presentation Prize winner Jason Hernandez [Photo: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas]

The $15,000 Presentation Prize, sponsored by Accenture, was given to La Tiendita.

The United Way said that each finalist also received a $25,000 Accelerator Prize, sponsored by March Tocqueville Fellows, in recognition of their journey through the Social Innovation Accelerator and their commitment to scaling their impact.

Legacy, sponsors, and judges

The Pitch is the culminating event of United Way’s Social Innovation Accelerator, a program designed to empower and equip social entrepreneurs with the resources, funding, and mentorship they need to create scalable solutions in education, income, and health.

Since its founding in 2013, the Accelerator has supported 83 nonprofit organizations, helping them raise over $75 million in additional funding, form 2,620 partnerships, and positively impact nearly 508,000 North Texans, the United Way said.

The Pitch 2025 Winner Vangelic Parker shown with judges [Photo: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas]

The panel of judges for 2025 included:

• Mike & Kass Lazerow, co-founders of Golf.com and Buddy Media, Founders and Partners of Velvet Sea Ventures
• Vipin Nambiar, founder and managing partner of HN Capital Partners
• Jamie O’Banion, founder and CEO, BeautyBio
• Megha Tolia, board member; co-founding director, Spears Institute for Entrepreneurship

During the competition, the United Way said that each finalist had five minutes to present their groundbreaking ideas, followed by a Q&A session with the judges. Pitches were evaluated based on impact, innovation, sustainability, and presentation.

This year’s competition was supported by sponsors including Accenture, Sara & Gary Ahr, Amazon, Cruise, Fossil Group, Goldman Sachs, March Tocqueville Fellows, PepsiCo, Sammons Enterprises, Satori Group, Melanie & Scott Schoenvogel, Toyota, and Vistra Corp.

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