Marketing agency, Riverside eye clinic and counseling practice win Fort Worth pitch contest

A digital marketing agency, an eye care clinic in Riverside and a mental health counseling practice won the top prizes at the 2026 Fort Worth Business Plan Competition. The eight finalists made their last pitches on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, in front of six judges and an audience.

Rishabh Sharma's ICONIER Digital Marketing Agency took the $10,000 grand prize. The full-service agency helps small and mid-sized businesses turn their online visibility into real customers. "Small business owners in Fort Worth shouldn't have to gamble on marketing," Sharma told the Fort Worth Report. "They should know what it costs and see the phone ring."

Dr. Julie Erwin of Panther City Eye Care won second place and $6,000. She also won the audience-voted Perfect Pitch prize, which comes with $500 in credits from sponsor Printed Threads. Erwin spent several years as a bilingual educator before going back to school, and she has now practiced optometry for seven years. She opened her locally owned practice in Fort Worth's Riverside neighborhood in February 2024.

Third place and $4,000 went to Open-Minded Counseling, owned by licensed clinical social worker Kaity Stone. Her practice offers affirmative and inclusive mental health and wellness services meant to support a person's mind, body and spirit. In her pitch, Stone talked about how her own experiences connect to her work.

The city of Fort Worth's Economic Development Department and Frost Bank sponsor the competition, which is now in its 15th year. It's open to Fort Worth businesses that are two to five years old and bring in less than $1 million a year. This year 20 participants spent months in workshops, mentor sessions and pitch practice before the field was cut to the Top 8. The other finalists were Articulate Your Value, DMG Notaries, MLK Prearrangements, Sultrosium Wellness and The West Wellness and Massage.

This story is based on original reporting by the Fort Worth Report, with more details from the City of Fort Worth and Hoodline.