Amy McCracken with Christie Chipps Peters of Richmond Animal Care and Control, the first recipient of High Five RVA.
The big foam finger is getting a second life in Richmond.
High Five RVA, an online service that delivers 19-inch bright orange high-five-ready foam hands through the mail, won $10,000 last month for being named a regional winner in Comcast Business’ Innovations 4 Entrepreneurs Contest.
Now the company, helmed by Amy McCracken, is one of 30 finalists competing nationally for public votes for the chance to win an additional $20,000 and a trip to Comcast Business’ headquarters in Philadelphia.
McCracken, 48, launched High Five RVA as a side project six months ago from her home. She’s still fully involved in her job as executive director of the Richmond Animal League.
She said she got the idea eight years ago from a desire to recognize Richmonders who are doing good deeds but may not make headlines.
“Richmond is being recognized for all sorts of amazing things,” she said. “There are a lot of people that are never going to be recognized by National Geographic.”
For now, it’s free to nominate anyone to receive a High Five RVA foam hand. McCracken said users can nominate people to receive them and that most nominations are accepted. Thus far, four High Fives have been delivered around Richmond, six nominations are pending and 50 more are planned to be delivered this year. She didn’t want to say who her foam hand supplier is.
McCracken eventually plans to charge for the service under the brand High Five Project. She said that initiative will let users send high fives all over the country and will be funded in part by the prize money from Comcast. She’ll also use the funds to build the company’s website. She’s recruited an intern to help out with High Five.
The Innovation 4 Entrepreneurs Contest is a national competition that will give a total of $440,000 to 15 startups and 15 entrepreneurs that use technology to run their businesses. Each regional winner won $10,000 in April. Public voting for six grand prize winners began April 26 and ends May 13. The results will be announced June 6.
McCracken said she applied to the contest after hearing about it in an email sent out by Comcast to its Internet subscribers.
“I really didn’t think there was any chance at all that High Five would be recognized,” she said. “In addition to the $10,000, this whole thing has inspired the idea that it’s fine if your ideas are small.”
Amy McCracken with Christie Chipps Peters of Richmond Animal Care and Control, the first recipient of High Five RVA.
The big foam finger is getting a second life in Richmond.
High Five RVA, an online service that delivers 19-inch bright orange high-five-ready foam hands through the mail, won $10,000 last month for being named a regional winner in Comcast Business’ Innovations 4 Entrepreneurs Contest.
Now the company, helmed by Amy McCracken, is one of 30 finalists competing nationally for public votes for the chance to win an additional $20,000 and a trip to Comcast Business’ headquarters in Philadelphia.
McCracken, 48, launched High Five RVA as a side project six months ago from her home. She’s still fully involved in her job as executive director of the Richmond Animal League.
She said she got the idea eight years ago from a desire to recognize Richmonders who are doing good deeds but may not make headlines.
“Richmond is being recognized for all sorts of amazing things,” she said. “There are a lot of people that are never going to be recognized by National Geographic.”
For now, it’s free to nominate anyone to receive a High Five RVA foam hand. McCracken said users can nominate people to receive them and that most nominations are accepted. Thus far, four High Fives have been delivered around Richmond, six nominations are pending and 50 more are planned to be delivered this year. She didn’t want to say who her foam hand supplier is.
McCracken eventually plans to charge for the service under the brand High Five Project. She said that initiative will let users send high fives all over the country and will be funded in part by the prize money from Comcast. She’ll also use the funds to build the company’s website. She’s recruited an intern to help out with High Five.
The Innovation 4 Entrepreneurs Contest is a national competition that will give a total of $440,000 to 15 startups and 15 entrepreneurs that use technology to run their businesses. Each regional winner won $10,000 in April. Public voting for six grand prize winners began April 26 and ends May 13. The results will be announced June 6.
McCracken said she applied to the contest after hearing about it in an email sent out by Comcast to its Internet subscribers.
“I really didn’t think there was any chance at all that High Five would be recognized,” she said. “In addition to the $10,000, this whole thing has inspired the idea that it’s fine if your ideas are small.”