🚀 Startup Grind Fort Lauderdale All-Star Pitch Battle AI Edition Featuring Melda Akin Frederick

Date: Wednesday, September 17th
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM ET (Judging begins at 7:00)
Location: Virtual – Startup Grind Event Platform
🗓️ Register here today!

🎤 Featured Speaker: Melda Akin Frederick

We’re thrilled to welcome Melda Akin Frederick as our fireside chat speaker. Melda will also be joining the esteemed expert judging panel for our subsequent Pitch Battle.

A trailblazing 3x founder (D14.AI, Sirius Labs, BeeInvites – Techstars Riyadh alum), Melda has generated multi-million dollars in revenue, advised the UN, Zayed University, and Saudi Ministry of Communications & IT, and spoken to over 70,000 people at Web Summit Lisbon.

Named to Forbes Top 10 Women Behind MENA Tech Brands (2021–2023) and awarded Woman Entrepreneur of the Year (MENA, 2022), Melda is a true force in global tech leadership. She’ll be sharing insights on:
✔️ Starting and scaling tech companies
✔️ Fundraising from accelerators & VCs
✔️ Building AI-powered platforms
✔️ Going from 0 → 1 as a founder
✔️ Scaling cross-border teams
✔️ Women in tech leadership
✔️ Growing your founder brand on LinkedIn

⚖️ Meet the Judges

👩‍⚖️ Jennifer Newton
Jennifer Newton is the Managing Attorney of StartSmart Counsel, PLLC, where she provides strategic legal, risk management, and compliance solutions for startups, venture capital funds, private equity firms, and small to medium-sized businesses. With over 15 years of experience in financial services regulation, compliance, and corporate law, Jennifer is a trusted advisor to emerging and high-growth companies navigating complex regulatory landscapes.

🤖 Grant Kurz
Founder of DeepStation, a global AI community partnered with OpenAI Academy, Grant is dedicated to accelerating AI education worldwide. With connections to leaders from Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Coinbase, Bloomberg, Cisco, and crewAI, DeepStation has delivered 75+ AI presentations and workshops—empowering professionals to stay ahead of the AI wave.

🚀 The Pitch Battle

Five bold founders. Five-minute pitches. Three minutes of judge feedback.
One city champion advancing to the Virtual Semi-Finals (Sept 24) and then the Global Finals (Oct 1) at the Startup Grind AI Summit, in front of 5,000+ VCs, founders, and tech leaders.

🏆 Prizes include: investor meetings, expo space at SG Conference 2026, and global visibility.

✨ Don’t Miss Out

Join us for an inspiring evening of startup pitches, AI insights, and global opportunities.

👉 Secure your spot now!

🚀 Founders: Want to compete? Apply today and select Fort Lauderdale for your chance to shine on the global stage.

Join the Startup Grind All-Star Pitch Battle — the global showdown for early-stage startups. Applications are closing soon!

We’re on the hunt for the best startups from every Startup Grind chapter around the world. Local winners will advance to the global stage, pitching in front of top Silicon Valley VCs for a chance to claim the title of All-Star Champion—plus win prizes, visibility, and investor connections along the way.

⚡️ With 87+ chapters competing and over 1,000 startups already applied, the race is on. Will you step up?

How to Join

• As a founder: Apply to pitch (Pre-Seed to Series A, or bootstrapped with traction, all industries welcome).

• As an attendee: RSVP and cheer on your city’s top talent.

• As a partner or VC: Get involved as a judge, sponsor, or featured partner.

🎤 Fast Track Your Pitch

Think you’re ready to win it all? We’re offering 3 exclusive Pitch Tickets that guarantee a spot in the competition. Email  marc(at)startupgrind(dot)com to snag one, then fill out the application form to lock it in.

🌐 Other spots are limited: 7 additional startups will be selected in the coming week. Apply now to be considered. Only 5 finalists will be notified one week before the event and must confirm with a startup ticket.

🎟 Tickets are free!

Event Format:

• Virtual

• Pitch: 5 founders | 5-minute pitch + 10 slides | 3-minute feedback

• City Finals: One winner from each city advances.

Virtual Semi-Finals by Industry: September 24 (free RSVP).

Global Finals: October 1st at the Startup Grind AI Summit — in front of 5,000+ tech leaders, VCs, and founders.
Winners receive prizes including investor meetings, expo space at SG Conference 2026, and more.

Don't miss our awesome fireside chat with our AI Founder!

Expect real feedback, valuable connections, and insights that will last long after the event. Whether you’re building, investing, or just curious, you’ll find your community here.