Meet the 2025 New York finalists

Joshua is the Founder of Baseball Lifestyle 101

At Baseball Lifestyle 101 we have a saying. "It's more than a game...it's a lifestyle". Baseball is woven into American culture and we're here to take it to the next level. The game of baseball has changed since it was founded more than 100 years ago. Today's players want to express themselves through clothing, culture, and community. At Baseball Lifestyle 101, we bring all of those together to allow people to express their love of the game any way they want.

The reason why it’s called Baseball Lifestyle 101 is because it was about the basics. The essence of BL101 is about being a baseball player and being a baseball fan all the way to your core. We were founded as the original influencer account in baseball pulling everything together that is the baseball lifestyle to one small Instagram account. This community developed into a clothing brand that started in Josh's basement and has now become one of the fastest growing companies in the US.

Baseball lifestyle was founded with the idea to create clothing, content, and community that was accessible for all baseball fans.

When you play the game with your team you are a part of something bigger than yourself. 

BlackHawk Data, a woman-owned IT solutions provider based in the New York City metro area, is dedicated to transforming every partnership into a collaborative journey through the complexities of modern technology. With the expertise of seasoned professionals, we guide our clients through challenging landscapes with precision and care.

At BlackHawk Data, we do more than provide services—we embark on a shared mission to design tailored solutions that simplify the intricate maze of technology. Our focus is to illuminate the path forward, turning complexity into clarity and challenges into opportunities.

We craft strategies that not only solve today’s problems but also pave the way for future success. Every solution we deliver is a blueprint for unlocking potential and achieving lasting results.

Michael is the Co-founder and CEO of Button

Button is the leading commerce optimization platform that uses AI technology to improve the performance of creator and affiliate marketing. The platform is used by the world's largest retailers, publishers and creator networks to drive better shopping experiences, improved attribution and new inventory for retail media which combine to grow revenue for the channels where Button is implemented. Button has been named a best place to work every year since its founding.

Button recently launched Button for Retail Media, an innovative offering that enables retailers to extend their on-site advertising capabilities to publisher and creator audiences, while publishers and creators unlock a valuable new revenue stream. This inventory performs like search inventory due to the high purchase intent of shoppers enhanced with Button's commerce optimization capabilities.

Ron and Mia are the Co-Founder's, and CEO and President, respectively, of ByHeart

ByHeart revolutionized infant nutrition as the first new U.S. formula manufacturer in 15 years. ByHeart built its foundation on groundbreaking breast milk science, direct relationships with trusted suppliers, and uncompromising quality standards. Its commitment led the company to develop a proprietary small batch blending process and construct its own manufacturing facilities. When ByHeart launched its Whole Nutrition Infant Formula in March 2022, it set new industry benchmarks as the first U.S.-made formula using organic, grass-fed whole milk. Made with globally sourced ingredients ByHeart features a patented protein blend that gets closest to breast milk by including the two most abundant proteins found in breast milk—alpha-lac and lactoferrin —and became the first infant formula company to earn Clean Label Project's Purity Award, testing for 700 contaminants versus the standard 400. ByHeart’s dedication to excellence is validated by the largest clinical trial conducted by a new formula brand in 25 years. 

Jon is the President and CEO of CCS Fundraising

CCS Fundraising ("CCS") is the world's leading strategic consulting and management firm, grounded in its vision to drive robust growth for clients across the entire philanthropic sector and directing major fundraising initiatives for nonprofits worldwide. CCS offers comprehensive planning, implementation, and management services for large-scale, transformational projects outside the scope of traditional annual giving campaigns, while also providing clients with critical data analytics, systems assessments, and planned giving services. CCS' broad service continuum and ability to provide full-time, dedicated resources allows nonprofits to exceed fundraising targets, gain deeper insights, and build development capacity. Founded in 1947, CCS is differentiated from competitors by its unmatched scale, highly experienced and specialized professionals, track record of proven performance for clients, deep understanding across the sector, and methodologies for optimizing fundraising. CCS has built long-term, board-level relationships with leading philanthropists and philanthropic organizations, and is currently working with over 600 organizations globally in support of critical missions including healthcare, education, and the environment.

Innocent is the Founder and CEO of Ciba Health

Ciba Health is a digital health platform that leverages root-cause medicine, advanced analytics, and personalized care to prevent, manage, and reverse chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiometabolic disorders, and autoimmune diseases. By integrating virtual primary care, food as medicine, and cutting-edge technology, Ciba Health delivers measurable outcomes, improves patient engagement, and reduces healthcare costs for employers and health plans.

Yaniv is the CEO of Claroty

Claroty has redefined cyber-physical systems (CPS) protection with an unrivaled industry-centric platform built to secure mission-critical infrastructure. The Claroty Platform provides the deepest asset visibility and the broadest, built-for-CPS solution set in the market comprising exposure management, network protection, secure access, and threat detection – whether in the cloud with Claroty xDome or on-premise with Claroty Continuous Threat Detection (CTD). Backed by award-winning threat research and a breadth of technology alliances, The Claroty Platform enables organizations to effectively reduce CPS risk, with the fastest time-to-value and lower total cost of ownership. Claroty is deployed by hundreds of organizations at thousands of sites globally.

David is the Founder and CEO of Click Therapeutics

Click Therapeutics develops, validates, and commercializes software as prescription medical treatments for people with unmet medical needs. We are expanding the possibilities of medicine with Digital Therapeutics™ that combine clinical science with the power of software to create a new way to treat disease.

Operating at the intersection of biology and technology, we use a proprietary platform-based approach to therapeutic development that leverages patient-centric design principles and innovative AI-based technologies to deliver a unique combination of engagement and clinical outcomes, consistently. Digital therapeutics on Click’s platform are regulated, clinically validated prescription mobile applications that can address diverse areas of therapeutic need, including indications in psychiatry, neurology, oncology, immunology, and cardiometabolic diseases.

Our commitment to advancing patient care means we continually improve our platform technologies, ensuring we stay at the forefront of cognitive, behavioral, and neuromodulatory therapeutic innovation, to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients.

Joshua and Guy are the Co-Founder's, and CFO and CEO, respectively, of ColdTrack

ColdTrack, formerly known as NutriFresh, was founded in 2014 as a turnkey cold chain logistics platform for eCommerce food and beverage brands.

Unlike traditional 3PLs, the company focuses exclusively on the unique complexities of shipping perishable goods, such as FDA-compliant fresh and frozen storage, kitting and pick arrays, and the handling of custom packaging, insulated liners, dry ice, and gel packs.

The company’s portfolio of modular services has evolved to include: nationwide temperature-controlled distribution centers, white-glove pick and pack services, proprietary technology built exclusively for perishable fulfillment, and enterprise-level shipping services.

Honored as one of the ‘100 Most Intriguing Companies’ by Goldman Sachs’ and appearing for two consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 List, ColdTrack was most recently named the 200th fastest-growing private company in the US and earned the No. 1 position within the Cold & Frozen eCommerce Fulfillment category.

Laine, Pita, and Priyanka are the Co-Founders, and Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, and CEO, respectively, of Evvy

Evvy is closing the gender health gap through novel biomarker discovery in the vaginal microbiome. Evvy’s groundbreaking Vaginal Health Test is the world’s only certified, peer-reviewed test to uncover 700+ microbes with a single, at-home swab. Combined with precision treatment pathways and 1-1 coaching, Evvy provides over 50,000 women with data-driven, personalized healthcare for vaginal infections, fertility, menopause, and more. Evvy has built the world’s largest dataset on the vaginal microbiome, and they are pioneering novel research to transform female health outcomes.

Sloan is the CEO of FlyteHealth

FlyteHealth is obesity care that empowers you. Delivering a comprehensive suite of clinical care, technology, and support, FlyteHealth reduces the complexity and cost of obesity and its comorbid conditions for employers and payers. Based on the founders’ decades of research and clinical care, FlyteHealth clinicians deliver the latest in personalized medication therapy and behavior coaching. The evidence-based treatment protocols enable individuals not only to lose weight and maintain weight loss long-term, but also to achieve significant improvements in outcomes related to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and many other weight-related health complications.

Chris is the Founder of Ithaca Hummus

Founded in 2013 by chef Chris Kirby, Ithaca Hummus has grown from a farmers market stand to America's fastest-growing hummus brand. The company's tagline, "Tastes outside your comfort zone," reflects both its innovative approach to flavor development and its founder's transformative journey from restaurant burnout to successful entrepreneur. While other brands play it safe, Ithaca boldly launched with Lemon Garlic as its first flavor—setting the tone for their boundary-pushing philosophy. Today, their nine distinctive varieties can be found in over 10,000 stores nationwide, including Publix, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Sprouts, Safeway/Albertsons, H-E-B, and select Costco stores in the Northeast. Operating on a "breakeven or better" principle, Ithaca has maintained profitability while scaling operations, selling 10 million tubs annually. With its chef-driven approach to innovation and commitment to quality, Ithaca continues to revolutionize the hummus category while inspiring consumers to embrace bold, fresh flavors.

Andy is the CEO of Kapitus

Founded in 2006, Kapitus is one of the most trusted names in small business financing. Together with its extensive financing network, Kapitus has connected more than 55,000 small business owners with over $7 Billion in capital.  At Kapitus, we are committed to keeping the best interests of our clients at the center of the financing process. By operating transparently, fairly and with integrity we connect businesses with up to six financing options that best fit their current needs and situation, allowing them to make educated financial decisions as they meet their company goals.