It’s the season to bring the sunlight to 20 more innovative nonprofits sprouting up in the Queen City.

Each year, the SEED20 program, created by  Social Venture Partners (SVP), selects 20 local nonprofits doing innovative work in Charlotte to undergo two months of intense training with mentors and coaches. Their work all leads up to an evening where ten members of the class chosen as finalists will tell their stories and compete for a grand prize of $20,000 in front of a live audience.

“Each Fall, we look forward to lifting up the region’s most innovative nonprofit organizations serving our most pressing local needs,” said Kristin Winkle Beck, Executive Director, Social Venture Partners.  “It’s amazing that even in our ninth year, the Charlotte community presents so many inspiring nonprofit organizations — clear evidence of the vast number of people and organizations doing amazing things in and for our community.”

Today, SEED20 announced the 20-member class of 2020 who will prepare to present at SEED 20 On Stage at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts on March 31, 2020. Tickets for the event are available for purchase now.

The SEED20 Class of 2020 is:

• Katherine Noto, Attach Families, Inc.
• Pasha Maher, Carolina Fintech Hub
• John Searby, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation
• Henry Rock, City Startup Labs
• Natalie Marles, El Puente Hispano
• Ryan McGill, Emerge, The Art of Leadership
• Kim Aprill, Food Connection Charlotte
• Toni Hagerman, Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte
• Janice Hinton, The Hope House Foundation
• Yolanda Trotman, iSpeak Now
• Beth Silverman, The Lotus Campaign
• Tracy Libertino-Fegarsky, Metrolina Association for the Blind
• Cynthia Wood, Mind Body Baby NC
• Brittany Holbert, Mooresville Soup Kitchen
• Charlie Petrizzo, Project2Heal
• Emily Kemmann, Safe Families for Children-Greater Charlotte
• Demi Clark, She Built This City
• Erica Reid Thompson, Child & Family Focus
• Reginald McNeil, Transforming Youth Movement
• Queen Smalls, Vision to Learn

The Biscuit will continue to follow the adventures of the Class of 2020 through March 31. Stay tuned for more information.