Amplitude’s All-Star Weekend with the NBA Foundation: A Recap

They didn't come to dribble—they came to pitch. Rising entrepreneurs took center stage at the NBA Foundation’s 2026 All-Star Pitch Competition to compete for something bigger than a trophy. This year’s theme, Game Changers: Creators Building the Future, spotlights Los Angeles-based founders whose startups advance social and economic opportunity.

As a major sponsor of All-Star Weekend, Amplitude is proud to celebrate the innovation, ingenuity, and impact of founders everywhere.

“Partnering with the NBA Foundation is one of the ways we live our values at Amplitude. Supporting the All-Star Pitch Competition again underscores our commitment to expanding access to capital, community, and visibility for underrepresented founders,” notes Nikki Lasley, Global Leader of Culture and Impact at Amplitude.

This partnership, built on mutual goals to elevate emerging founders, led to three sensational events.

All-Star Weekend Kickoff: The Founders’ Soirée

Tuesday, Feb. 10: We officially started festivities with a curated Founders’ Soirée in downtown LA. This intimate gathering brought together the All-Star Pitch finalists and their supporters, founders from the Amplitude community, and members from the startup ecosystem. Conversations moved fluidly from product analytics to capital strategy to community engagement. It was a vivid evening of stories that energized everyone for the days ahead.

Members from the LA startup ecosystem celebrating with the All-Star Pitch finalists

Fireside Chat and Connections: The Founders Lounge

Wednesday, Feb. 11: The inaugural Founders Lounge was designed to connect the All-Star Pitch finalists to a network of investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. The insightful fireside chat featured tech and sports luminary Michael Carter-Williams, former NBA Rookie of the Year, who shared his transition from the court to the boardroom. Founders exchanged honest stories about fundraising and growth, opening up thoughtful conversations.

Genisha Metcalf, Head of Partnerships, NBA Foundation, hosts a fireside chat with entrepreneurs Michael Carter-Williams, former NBA athlete, and Dion Ridley, Manager of Studio Engineering, Netflix

The Culminating Moment: NBA All Star Pitch Finals

Thursday, Feb. 12: The All-Star Pitch Finals attracted a live audience of executives, entrepreneurs, and community members to the iconic Kia Forum. The showcase opened with remarks from Ruth Jurgensen, Executive Director of the NBA Foundation, and Steve Ballmer, owner of the LA Clippers, who matched the original prize pool and brought total awards to $400,000. The 2026 All-Star Pitch Finalists are:

• Anwar Douglas, Founder of Imperium Care: A platform redesigning in-home care by pairing older adults with trained pre-health student caregivers
• Candace Walker, Founder of Generation Connect: A community bridging generational and technological gaps by connecting teens with seasoned adults
• Hamilton Perkins, Founder of HPC: A sustainable and eco-friendly brand crafting unique bags and accessories from reclaimed materials
• Kristina Wilson, Founder of LeagueProof: An app using AI to match underrepresented student-athletes with colleges and universities
• Manju Dawkins, Founder of Thimble: Accessible, over-the-counter patches that manage pain from medical procedures requiring needles
• Mayowa Arogundade, Founder of Equal IQ: A deal intelligence platform for contract negotiation in sports, media, and entertainment
• Yosh Miller, Founder of Hadley: A platform enabling organizations to offer 529 benefits through automated payroll contributions

The judges, All-Star Pitch finalists, NBA Foundation, and partners including Amplitude

The Winners

After this passionate display of entrepreneurial talent and vision, applause echoed throughout the stadium. The expert judging panel—comprised of Issa Rae, Ann Miller, Bozoma Saint John, Will Bumpus, and Ted Oberwager—deliberated deeply and selected four outstanding founders:

• First Place Winner: Hamilton Perkins, founder of HPC, won $100,000
• Second Place Winner: Anwar Douglas, founder of Imperium Care, won $75,000
• Third Place Winner: Yosh Miller, Founder of Hadley, won $75,000
• Amex Community All-Star: Mayowa Arogundade, founder of Equal IQ, won $75,000
• Remaining Finalists: Candace Walker, Kristina Wilson, and Manju Dawkins each took home $25,000 in cash prizes

“The recognition of Hadley is a huge milestone in helping more Americans set up and grow their 529 plans for education and professional training. With the power of Amplitude Analytics, we refined our customer experience and made it easier for employers to offer 529 benefits for their entire workforce. Amplitude actively shows up for the startup community, and its product excellence is why Hadley is proud to build with Amplitude,” comments Yosh Miller, Founder and CEO.

We look forward to seeing the continued growth and success of all the LA-based startups that participated! Check out the full recap of All-Star Weekend 2026 and learn more about the finalists and their startups on our Amplitude x NBA Foundation page.