INDIANAPOLIS — NBA All-Star Weekend is bringing all the competition when it comes to Indy, even between some venture capitalists.
“It's about how we give these organizations access to rooms that they may have not had access to before," explained Chuqlab co-founder Cornelius George.
This year, the NBA is bringing it’s third annual pitch competition to Indianapolis during the All-Star Weekend festivities.
“It's going to be a lot like Shark Tank,” said George.
Chuqlab is a company that uses A.I. to aid law enforcement in their investigations.
George says the idea came from an IMPD detective right here in Indianapolis.
“Every year, U.S. law enforcement generates over 200 million hours. That's 25,000 years of recorded conversations and interviews that have valuable intelligence on it," George said. "Stuff like that can exonerate people and put the right people behind bars."
Geoge isn’t alone.
Katara McCarty is an entrepreneur born and raised in Indianapolis. Her app, Exhale, is a well-being app created for black women.
“We really approach our content from an intersectional lens,” explained McCarty. “Considering how black women have to face systems of oppression and how that affects our mental and emotional health.”
The competition has provided every startup with unmatched exposure.
“The exposure is a dream,” said McCarty. “It's what entrepreneurs, like me, at an early stage could only hope for. To be put on not just a physical stage, but the stage that the NBA offers is huge for us.”
George believes the world is starting to pay more attention to Indiana.
“It’s now starting to get attention for being a place where entrepreneurs can start and build their dreams and actually add into the U.S. economy," said George. "That's huge for us.”
