This year’s Pitch Competition raised the bar. Our athlete-founders delivered incredibly compelling pitches for ventures with clear business plans, revenue models, and meaningful impact.

After thoughtful deliberation from our judging panel, we are proud to announce Jamie Hutcheson as the winner of the Victory Ventures Accelerator’s 2025-26 cohort, earning the $10,000 cash award to accelerate her venture.

A retired professional basketball player, Jamie knows firsthand what it feels like to be the only girl in the gym – told she didn’t have the “right” body and navigating systems built largely for boys. After a career-ending injury, she turned that experience into action, founding Proud Human Hoops to create the space she never had: one rooted in belonging, mentorship, and growth.

1 in 3 girls in Canada drops out of sport by their late teens due to a lack of belonging, autonomy, and clear pathways. Especially in 3x3 basketball. Proud Human Hoops is tackling that gap head-on, building a development ecosystem designed by women who’ve played at the highest levels of the game.

This is impact in action.