Biz contest winner to merge fashion, social media

SARASOTA — Local startup entrepreneurs Lindsey Nickel and Sheena Koshy, co-founders of a fashion mobile app, won the top prize in Glidea Pitch 2013, a Shark Tank-style idea pitch contest.

Nickel blogged for the Business Observer in March about her experiences with the app, Storedrobe, on the Startup Bus. The app allows a user to catalogue all the clothing and accessories in her closet and virtually put outfits together. There are other closet apps, the founders say in a release, but no others fully utilize social media.

“We envision a social component to this app that would make it truly unique,” Koshy says in the statement. “This would allow users the option to not just carry around a virtual wardrobe, but also their own circle of virtual stylists.”

Nickel and Koshy pitched their ideas at Glide Pitch 2013, held July 16 at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Seven other contestants pitched their business ideas to the panel of judges, which included Glide Interactive CEO John Carlson; Ringling College of Art and Design President Larry Thompson; and David Houle, a nationally known futurist who is on the faculty at Ringling. This was the first Glidea Pitch contest, and Carlson previously told the Business Observer he plans to host more in the future.

Glide Interactive, a Sarasota-based branding, digital strategy and graphic design firm, will now provide consultation to Nickel and Koshy on Storedrobe. Glide will help develop the app, according to the release, and will work on branding and other features. “We think Storedrobe has the chance to be really successful,” Carlson says in the statement. “Lindsey, Sheena, and the Glide Interactive team have a lot of ideas for making this a really exciting project.”