Fast Pitch
We’ll see you in 2026!
“In pivotal moments in history, leaders have posed two fundamental questions: If not us, who? If not now, when?”
SVP Chicago’s Executive Director, Evelyn Fitzgerald, kicked off this year’s Fast Pitch showcase by comparing the current moment with pivotal moments in history. And our hybrid audience of more than 450 guests — whether they consciously thought of it or not — answered those questions by not just showing up, but by SHOWING UP to make financial contributions that beat our $65,000 goal by over $3,000! Combining the $50,000 in unrestricted grants provided by SVP Chicago and audience donations, we raised more than $118,000 for the benefit of our nonprofit leaders!
We’re proud of every pitcher who made a 2-month+ commitment to this program and poured their hearts into their pitches. While every one of them has a reason to brag, four get to brag a little harder for earning these ‘bragging rights’ awards:
Audience Choice: Calvin King, Free Lunch Academy
Spirit of Fast Pitch: This year, a tie between Eva Maria Lewis, Free Root Operation, and Aisha Oliver, Root2Fruit Youth Foundation
Momentum Maestro: Kenneth Griffin, No Matter What
Couldn’t make it to the event? Here’s a link to the showcase.
We’re incredibly grateful for SVP ED Partners, Chellee Rashad and DeAnna McCleary Sherman, for emceeing our event and for engaging both our audience and a group of former Fast Pitchers on stage. Our new venue provided ample space for pitchers to gather their thoughts before the showcase, for guests to enjoy adult beverages and network and free, convenient parking for all. Win-win-win!
Impact begins and ends in communities. Thank you for showing up, for stepping up and for helping us create greater impact, together.
Check out our Gallery below!
Photo Credit: Sean McGill Photography
DeAnna McLeary Sherman & Michelle "Chellee" Rashad
SVP Chicago Executive Director, Evelyn Fitzgerald
Emcees DeAnna McLeary Sherman and Michelle "Chellee" Rashad
Calvin King, Free Lunch Academy
David Rojas, Jr., The Alliance 98
Ruby Taylor, Taproots, Inc.
Michael Bass, Intergenerational Computer Education
Aisha Oliver, Root2Fruit Youth Foundation
Dr. Marlon Haywood, Urban Male Network
Coach Derek Brown, Boxing Out Negativity
Eva Maria Lewis, Free Root Operation
Kenneth Griffin, No Matter What
Karl Kemp, Common Ground Foundation
Emcee Michelle "Chellee" Rashad
Chellee Rashad and DeAnna McLeary Sherman talk to Former Fast Pitchers
Jackie Hoffman, Peace Runners 773
Jamila Trimuel, Ladies of Virtue
Darryca Brim, Focus Fairies Mentoring
Coach Shawn Sorsby, A Step Ahead Chess and Darryca Brim, Focus Fairies Mentoring
Fast Pitch FAQ
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Fast Pitch is a free, two-month communications training and mentoring program for innovative nonprofits that are effecting social change in Chicago. Nonprofit leaders are selected from a pool of candidates recommended by community leaders.
Each nonprofit leader receives training and mentoring from a team of two SVP Chicago partners who help them refine their messaging and develop a three-minute pitch to tell their story in a powerful and compelling way.
The program culminates in a high energy, rapid-fire showcase event during which the nonprofit leaders share the mission, vision, and impact of their organization with an in-person and virtual audience to fundraise and friendraise. -
We know from past participants that the program is about so much more than the pitch:
The refined messaging can transform how you talk about your organization across communications platforms.
You can make connections with other nonprofit leaders that last beyond the two-month program.
The showcase leads to more donations, potential volunteers and board members, and broader exposure for you and your organization.
Program alumni join our network of nonprofits we support with our organization-building help.
It is important to us that all organizations who are accepted into the program are compensated for their time. As such, SVP Chicago gives each nonprofit leader who completes the program a small, unrestricted grant.
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Participants are expected to attend three group practice pitches, independent practices with their coaches and the showcase event. You can anticipate a weekly commitment of approximately 4-5 hours to practice with your coaches and prepare for each pitch.
Quilen Blackwell, President & Co-founder, Chicago Eco House –Fast Pitch 2021
“Participating in SVP Chicago’s Fast Pitch changed how we talk about our organization. Working with my coaches, I was able to crystalize our messaging to go beyond talking about the programs and, instead, focus on telling our story more broadly.
The program also gave me access to SVP’s network of partners which has led to pro bono organization building support and more. This helped us to gain national media coverage on the Today Show, 60 Second Docs, Steve Harvey on Watch, New York Times, Forbes, and many others. Furthermore, our revenue has grown significantly from the time we started the program to now, which I attribute to our improved messaging. While the program is a time commitment, the value I received and continue to receive was well worth it.”
To view our previous Fast Pitch showcases, click below.
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You couldn’t make it to our April 10th showcase? Bummer! Here’s what you missed!
View our full 2025 Showcase
Or, watch individual pitches from the 2025 Showcase:
David Rojas, Jr., The Alliance 98
Coach Derek Brown, Boxing Out Negativity
Karl Kemp, Common Ground Foundation
Calvin King, Free Lunch Academy (Audience Choice)
Eva Maria Lewis, Free Root Operation (Spirit of Fast Pitch)
Michael Bass, Intergenerational Computer Education
Kenneth Griffin, No Matter What (Momentum Maestro)
Aisha Oliver, Root2Fruit Youth Organization (Spirit of Fast Pitch)
Ruby Taylor, Taproots, Inc.
Dr. Marlon Haywood, Urban Male Network
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Thank you for making Fast Pitch 2024 a night to remember! The passion of our pitchers, the energy of our emcees, and the commitment our coaches made to the program all contributed to a wildly successful night.
Weren't able to catch us on May 2nd?
View our full 2024 Fast Pitch Showcase!
Or, watch individual pitches from the 2024 Showcase:
Danielle Wallace, Kingdom Avenue (Momentum Maestro)
Phil Jackson, Firehouse Community Arts Center (Spirit of Fast Pitch)
Jordan Campbell, Alt_Chicago
Shawn Sorsby, A Step Ahead Chess (Audience Choice)
Katie List, Towers of Excellence
Pha’Tal Perkins, Think Outside Da Block
Darryca Brim, Focus Fairies Mentoring
Joseph Williams, Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club
Princess Shaw, Light Up Lawndale
Malcolm Crawford, Austin African American Business Networking Association
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Our eight amazing nonprofit leaders presented the pitches they have practiced over the last two months to an audience of over 300 donors, sponsors, community leaders, friends, and family. The quality of their pitches and the passion of these presenters was absolutely awe inspiring.
While all of the nonprofit leaders gave truly incredible pitches, we awarded two organizations prizes for their work throughout the program. Sylus Green, founder and executive director of The 5:30 Scholars, was selected by the crowd for the Audience Choice Award. Jackie Hoffman, founder and executive director of Peace Runners 773 and Jamyle Cannon, founder of The Bloc Chicago, tied for the Spirit of Fast Pitch award, an award that is chosen by the Fast Pitch cohort to the person who has been supportive, encouraging, and collaborative throughout the program. Congratulations to these leaders!
In addition to these awards, we were able to raise $55,000 in donations during the event, on top of the $40,000 in grants given by SVP Chicago and $75,000 of in-kind services contributed by our pro bono sponsors, for a total of $170,000 for nonprofits making a difference.
To watch the full video, click on this link. To watch individual videos of our nonprofit presenters, please see below.
Eric Davis - The Base Chicago
Jurema Gorham - Burst Into Books
Chris Thomas - YourPassion1st
Jackie Hoffman - Peace Runners 773
Sylus Green - The 5:30 Scholars
Dirrick Butler - Project OneTen
David Chappell - Amplified Voices
Jamyle Cannon - The Bloc
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Our 2022 Fast Pitch showcase was the best yet! Over 350 people attended our hybrid event on May 12 from 6:00-8:30pm to cheer on our nine incredible nonprofit leaders. We were so proud to shine a spotlight on the critical work that each of these nonprofits is doing in our communities every day to change the narrative in our city.
Our presenters raised $48k in donations for their organizations during the event, on top of the $27k in grants from SVP and $65k in pro bono service awards, for a total of $140k!
This year, we gave out two awards to two of our nonprofit leaders: the Audience Choice Award, who was chosen for best pitch by the showcase attendees, and the Spirit of Fast Pitch Award, who was selected by the participating nonprofit leaders. We are thrilled to announce that the winner of the awards were:
Michelle Chellee Rashad, Imagine Englewood if…/We Grow Chicago – Audience Choice Award
Dion Dawson, Dion’s Chicago Dream – Spirit of Fast Pitch Award
If you are interested in watching the full event, click on this link to the recording of the livestream. To watch individual videos of our nonprofit presenters, please see below.
Olatunji Oboi Reed - Equiticity
Michelle Chellee Rashad - Imagine Englewood if…
Susan Garcia Trieschmann - Curt’s Cafe
Dorian McIntyre (Pastor Mac) - What About Us
Jasmine Gilstrap - Lion’s Pride Mentoring
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In line with our mission to provide support to the Chicago community, SVP Chicago chose to postpone our 5th Chicago Fast Pitch Competition that was originally scheduled for April of 2020 until May of 2021 as a precaution against the covid-19 pandemic.
Congratulations to our 2020/21 winners:
First Place ($10,000) – Monica Beckford Curry, Greenhouse Scholars
Second Place ($7,500) – Andrew DeMuro, Guitars Over Guns
Third Place ($5,000) – Bevon Joseph, Greenwood Project
Thank you to all of our participating nonprofits! What their videos below:
Monica Beckford Curry, Greenhouse Scholars
Andrew DeMuro, Guitars Over Guns
Bevon Joseph, Greenwood Project
Quilen Blackwell, Chicago Eco House
Dan Hostetler, Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center
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Congratulations to our 2019 winners:
Judges’ Award ($10,000) – Analia Rodriguez, Latino Union
Coaches’ Award ($7,500) – Gail Schechter, Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly (HOME)
Audience Award ($5,000) – Britney Robbins, The Gray Matter Experience
Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications Pro Bono Service Award – Larry E Roberts Jr., DATA Foundation Inc.
UpMetrics Pro Bono Service Award – Michelle Morales, Mikva Challenge
Thank you to all of our participating nonprofits! What their videos below:
Analia Rodriguez, Latino Union
Gail Schechter, Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly (HOME)
Britney Robbins, The Gray Matter Experience
Larry E Roberts Jr., DATA Foundation Inc.
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Congratulations to SVP Chicago’s 2018 Fast Pitch Winners:
Judges’ First Place ($10,000) –Nina Smith; LEAP
Coaches’ Award ($7,500) –Jamila Trimuel; Ladies of Virtue
Audience Award ($5,000) –Kathy Ragnar; Sarah’s Circle
Jasculca Terman Pro bono Service Award –Mike McGee; Code Now
Mission+Strategy Pro bono Service Award –Kathy Ragnar; Sarah’s Circle
Thank you to all of our participating nonprofits! What their videos below:
Jamila Trimuel, Ladies of Virtue
Dylan Toropov, About Face Theatre
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Congratulations to SVP Chicago’s 2017 Fast Pitch Winners:
Judges’ First Place ($10,000) – DeAnna McLeary-Sherman, Executive Director; True Star Foundation
Coaches’ Award ($7,500) – Wilonda Cannon, Senior Director of Development; Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Audience Award ($2,500) – Halleemah Nash, Executive Director; iMentor
Jasculca Terman Pro bono Service Award – Danya Rosen, Chicago Executive Director; Peer Health Exchange
Mission+Strategy Pro bono Service Award – Halleemah Nash, Executive Director; iMentor
Thank you to all of our participating nonprofits! What their videos below:
DeAnna McLeary-Sherman, True Star Foundation
Wilonda Cannon, Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Danya Rosen, Peer Health Exchange
Lydia Stazen Michael, All Chicago Making Homelessness History
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Congratulations to SVP Chicago’s 2016 Fast Pitch Winners:
Judges’ First Place ($10,000) – Torrey Barrett, Founder & Executive Director, KLEO Center
Judges’ Second Place ($7,500) – Kelly Lambrinatos, Co-founder & Executive Director, VOCEL
Jasculca Terman Pro bono Service Award – Ethan Daly, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Sunshine Enterprises
Coaches’ Award ($2,500 plus capacity-building support) – Alison Hanold, Partnerships Director, Chicago Literacy Alliance
Thank you to all of our participating nonprofits! What their videos below:
Ethan Daly, Sunshine Enterprises
Alison Hanold, Chicago Literacy Alliance
Edie Canter, Chicago Debate Commission
Danny Craig, Chicago Hopes for Kids