Three emerging businesses focused on RV rentals, warehouse technology and appointment scheduling have earned spots in Start Peninsula’s November championship, where $15,000 in prize money will be awarded.

Compass & Code Collective, Industrial Native and Ongati were selected from 10 businesses that competed during Start Peninsula’s fourth Micro Pitch event of 2026 on October 21.

Each winner received $500 and secured a place among 12 finalists who will compete in November. At the final competition, three businesses will each receive $5,000 to help advance their ventures.

The winning businesses are tackling challenges across three very different industries.

Tia Hatcher’s Compass & Code Collective is developing a way for recreational vehicle owners to turn underutilized RVs into income-producing assets. Through its Compass & Code Hospitality business, the company manages RVs as short-term rentals, using standardized operations and additional services to generate revenue. Its broader strategy is to reinvest earnings into long-term real estate investments.

Brian Kelly’s Industrial Native is developing Flowtally, a technology platform designed to improve how manufacturers and warehouses track incoming and outgoing shipments. Using cameras installed at loading docks, Flowtally reads freight labels, captures timestamped images and compares shipments against manifests. The system helps businesses identify discrepancies while trucks are still at the dock, potentially reducing costly inventory disputes and manual tracking.

Brian Ongati’s Ongati is addressing a familiar problem for barbers, salons, clinics and other service businesses that rely on text messages and social media to schedule appointments. The platform gives businesses a free professional booking page, calendar integrations and tools to collect customer reviews. Since launching its beta in August 2026, Ongati has attracted 23 businesses testing the service.

Seven Additional Businesses Take the Stage

The October competition also featured seven other businesses representing healthcare, home services, manufacturing, artificial intelligence and consumer products.

  • CARE AiLLY, founded by William Hill, is developing an AI-powered healthcare companion designed to help minority women navigate medical appointments, understand health information and communicate with healthcare providers.
  • Found Family Home Health Care, led by Christina Hollowell, focuses on non-medical home care services.
  • Grow Pros LLC, founded by Christopher Richardson, designs and installs ready-to-grow home garden systems that make growing fresh food more accessible.
  • Lotus Love Digital Solutions, led by Mia Wang, helps small businesses adopt artificial intelligence through training, consulting and the development of an AI-powered project management assistant.
  • MANLY, founded by Denzel Murph, has developed an automatic tissue dispenser for men’s public restrooms to improve hygiene at urinals.
  • Monument Forge Manufacturing, founded by Xavier Pettis, uses CNC machining, engraving and 3D printing to manufacture custom plaques, identification plates and prototype components.
  • Moonlit Moose, founded by Carter Workman, develops inclusive board games designed to bring people together, donating $1 from each game sold to nonprofits supporting people with learning disabilities.

The businesses presented their ideas to a panel of three judges consisting of Brandon Hennessey of William & Mary, Joey Barnes of Fulton Bank and Chris Davidson of Orca Technologies.

A Final Opportunity in November

The October competition marked the fourth and final Micro Pitch event of Start Peninsula’s 2026 program, completing the field of 12 finalists who will return in November.

While the three October winners represent different industries, each is developing a business around an identifiable market opportunity, from making better use of existing assets to improving everyday business operations.

That variety reflects Start Peninsula’s broader mission of helping entrepreneurs across Hampton Roads turn early-stage ideas into viable businesses.

In November, the focus shifts from earning a place in the competition to securing one of three $5,000 awards that can help move those ideas closer to market.