Help Quaker City Coffee move on in the global finals of WeWork’s Creator Awards
January 17, 2018 Category: Event, Featured, Funding, ShortDisclosures
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the results of the competition. (1/19, 11:52 a.m.)Quaker City Coffee Company is getting on the global stage tonight.
The Center City-based, profit-sharing coffee roaster that makes it a point to hire returning citizens hopes to be a finalist in the global finals of WeWork’s Creator Awards, a pitch competition for “creators” with some serious cash on the line.
Let’s back up: In early 2017, the coworking company put out an international call for entrants. It reportedly received thousands of applications, narrowed those down to hundreds of regional finalists and distributed millions of dollars to winners — including Quaker City.
“Last year we competed in the regional WeWork Creator Awards down in DC and received a $75,000 grant to help start up our efforts in Philadelphia,” wrote marketing head Erin Dwyer in an email. “From that event we stayed close to the WeWork community and catered events, held events and met with other startups in the region.”
That familiarity paid off: Quaker City was invited back to the global version of the Creator Awards as a semifinalist, which means its cofounders are in the running to snag the last spot in the competition.
The seven for-sure global finalists are Eat Offbeat, Andiamo HQ, Bunker Labs (based in Chicago, but with a Philly outpost), Byte Back – DC, re:3D, CADUS – Redefine Global Solidarity and EyeControl.
Quaker City will compete for the eighth spot against fellow semifinalists Warmilu LLC, Global Vision 2020, Coral Vita, Chatterbox and LeVar Burton Kids.
https://twitter.com/QuakerCoffee/status/953307902550380544
The real competition is tonight, Wednesday, when a Quaker City-made video about its origin story and mission will stream live on WeWork’s Facebook page alongside the other semifinalists. (Cofounders Christian Dennis and Bob Logue are currently in New York City for the competition.) Those who watch will then be invited to vote for which project they want to see move on to the final round.
Tune in tonight at 8:30 p.m. to help Quaker City out.
WatchUpdate: Dwyer told us the day after the competition that Quaker City didn’t make the cut.
“Unfortunately, we did not crack the finals,” she wrote. “We unofficially finished 9th based on the voting screen. Although we didn’t come out on top, We Work provided us with an excellent networking event. Following the live voting segment, we received a sales request from California. Nice to know that even without the win, we were able to promote the brand!”