NEW YORK, July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Friday, July 17, 2026, days before the world’s top two soccer teams battle for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, a different kind of high-stakes championship is taking place just minutes away. Four American small businesses will gather at the Antique Loft in Hoboken, NJ to go head-to-head in Verizon’s Small Business Super Pitch competition, an event which highlights the incredible grit, impact, and vital role everyday entrepreneurs play in communities nationwide.
The Verizon Small Business Super Pitch is a nationwide pitch competition designed to discover some of America’s most promising small businesses. After being selected from a submission pool of more than 500 competitors and winning one of four regional rounds across the country, the finalists will now take the stage to deliver a compelling pitch on their business.
The four finalists in the Verizon Small Business Super Pitch are:
- The Balm Box (Overland Park, KS) – Founded by six-time cancer survivor Liz Benditt, The Balm Box ships research-backed care packages specifically designed for cancer patients navigating surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
- House of Perna (Delray Beach, FL) – A fashion house, founded by fashion designer, Amanda Perna, dedicated to designing small-batch clothing with bold prints and sustainable practices that allows women to feel completely themselves.
- TWB Tours (Seattle, WA) – A Pacific Northwest tour company, founded by Marlie and Anthony Love, that offers guests an inside look at local culture, history, and community-centered small businesses.
- Renewed Focus (New York, NY) – Led by Melissa Robinson-Brown, Renewed Focus is a therapy practice with a focus on providing care to women and allowing them to unleash their authentic selves and navigate life’s roller coaster.
“Big cultural events like the FIFA World Cup 2026™ offer unparalleled opportunities for small businesses to gain widespread visibility and thrive. Verizon is proud to support these essential community anchors through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, which provides free resources—including online courses, coaching, funding, and networking—to help entrepreneurs succeed. We are deeply honored to play a role in the journeys of the dynamic businesses that have made it to the Super Pitch finals,” said Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer for Verizon.
In the initial phase of the competition, business owners posted videos to social media highlighting how they had used the resources on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready to learn how to more effectively pitch their business. Of those, 20 were selected to compete in the semifinal events in FIFA World Cup 2026™ host cities. Now, the final four will deliver a pitch to a panel of expert judges, including two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ champion Carli Lloyd, for a chance to win cash prizes. All four finalists will receive two tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final.
“Succeeding as a small business is like soccer. It takes daily hard work and the right coaching. I’m proud to see a company like Verizon champion small businesses by providing year-round access to its Digital Ready platform,” said Lloyd. “Whether it is a youth soccer clinic, or the local coffee shop, it’s the small businesses that keep our communities running. And through this experience with Verizon, it’s been a joy to meet some of these amazing entrepreneurs.”
In addition to the cash prizes and tickets, all finalists will receive expert mentorship in using artificial intelligence in their business as Verizon works to position small businesses to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving digital world.
Creating a homefield advantage
Verizon’s investment in small business community development extends beyond the competition and prizes. Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is a free resource available to all small businesses in the U.S. regardless of whether they are Verizon customers. The program has already helped over 600,000 business owners since its launch in 2020, with a goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030.
All participants in the Super Pitch have received expert guidance on how to pitch their businesses from Precious Williams, Founder and CEO of the Perfect Pitch Group, successful “Shark Tank” participant, and Verizon Small Business Digital Ready instructor. Williams has also hosted versions of her Digital Ready pitch workshops for local small businesses at each of the semifinal events.
To RSVP for the event on July 17, visit https://events.bizzabo.com/SettingthePitch.
For more information on the competition and to register for Small Business Digital Ready, visit https://www.verizon.com/about/responsibility/digital-inclusion/small-business-program.
This announcement was originally published by Verizon. Read the original press release.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $138.2 billion in 2025. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.
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