QTIC winners, funders, organizers, collaborators, and supporters stand during the award ceremony at the New York Hall of Science on April 28, 2026. From left to right, they are Daniel Khalighinejad, Dwellci AI; Erick Molina, CMPO; Shahed Islam, SJ Innovation; Rathan Kanagarajah, Sivaro Snacks; Henry Chen, Community Management Developer, Resorts World New York City; Magdala Noel, Hand in Hand Speech Therapy; Lou Abrams, Director of Startup Banking & Founder Success, Silicon Valley Bank; City Council Member Shanel Thomas- Henry; Matthew Anatalio, Community Development Manager, Resorts World New York City; Kelly Tigera, Orbit Exchange; QEDC Executive Director Ben Guttmann; QEDC Deputy Executive Director for Innovation Sarah Liu; and Shurn Anderson, Director of Economic Development, Borough President Dono­van Richards Jr.’s Office. Photo Victor Prado

QTIC winners, funders, organizers, collaborators, and supporters stand during the award ceremony at the New York Hall of Science on April 28, 2026. From left to right, they are Daniel Khalighinejad, Dwellci AI; Erick Molina, CMPO; Shahed Islam, SJ Innovation; Rathan Kanagarajah, Sivaro Snacks; Henry Chen, Community Management Developer, Resorts World New York City; Magdala Noel, Hand in Hand Speech Therapy; Lou Abrams, Director of Startup Banking & Founder Success, Silicon Valley Bank; City Council Member Shanel Thomas- Henry; Matthew Anatalio, Community Development Manager, Resorts World New York City; Kelly Tigera, Orbit Exchange; QEDC Executive Director Ben Guttmann; QEDC Deputy Executive Director for Innovation Sarah Liu; and Shurn Anderson, Director of Economic Development, Borough President Dono­van Richards Jr.’s Office. Photo Victor Prado

A speech therapy provider, a healthy snack purveyor, a marketplace for re­claimed materials, a real estate feasibility calculator, and an app for recreational leagues were announced as winners of the 2026 Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge (QTIC) during a special event at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Tuesday, April 28.

Each entity will receive a $10,000 cash prize along with $6,000 in in-kind awards to support its business growth.

QTIC is a five-month, instruction-and-funding competition offered via a partner­ship with Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.’s Office and the Queens Eco­nomic Development Corporation (QEDC) with major program and grant support from Resorts World New York City. Contestants participated in one-on-one consultations and networking events while also taking workshops on such topics as AI, marketing, and financial projections. Then, they sub­mitted applications to a panel of judges consisting of local entrepreneurship and in­dustry experts who selected three finalists in five categories: Community; Consumer Tech; Enterprise Tech; Food; and Sustain­ability.

During the Final Pitch Day at the New York Hall of Science on April 28, the 15 fi­nalists pitched to a second panel of judges in person. Those judges then selected one winner from each category.

Information on the winners:

Community: Magdala Noel (Queens Village) and Hand in Hand Speech Ther­apy, a mobile unit that provides polylingua kl pediatric speech-and-language services to children;

Consumer Tech: Erick Molina (Rich­mond Hill) and CMPO, an app that helps organize adult recreational leagues;

Enterprise Tech: Daniel Khalighinejad and Hesam Shams (Long Island City) and the real estate feasibility platform Dwellci AI;

Food: Rathan Kanagarajah (Long Is­land City) and Sivaro Snacks, which pre­pares, packages, and sells healthy snacks with dried fruit, nuts, and spices, but no seed oils; and

Sustainability: Kelly Tigera (Long Is­land City) and Orbit Exchange, a market­place for reclaimed construction materials.

QTIC is a continuation of the Queens StartUP! Business Plan Competition, which QEDC administered annually from 2006 to 2023 when the Borough Presi­dent’s Office joined and enhanced the pro­grams. Since its inception, the program has distributed more than $900,000 worth of investments to early-stage Queens compa­nies. This year’s returning leadership spon­sor is Resorts World New York City with additional event support from Silicon Val­ley Bank and the New York Hall of Sci­ence.

“Congratulations to the five incredible winners of this year’s Queens Tech + In­novation Challenge! This was our biggest and most competitive year ever, and it’s a true accomplishment to be recognized as one of the top startups in one of the world’s most dynamic communities,” stated QEDC Executive Director Ben Guttmann. “I’m excited to see these entrepreneurs continue to make an impact in Queens and beyond. Thank you again to our partners at the Queens Borough President’s Office and Resorts World New York City – and to the more than 50 judges who volunteered their time and expertise.”

About QEDC

Founded in 1977, QEDC’s mission is to create and retain jobs through program­ming that grows borough neighborhoods, assists small businesses, and promotes tourism and business development.