Jerina Vincent and her daughter Natania Julius burst into laughter and embraced.
“Mom!” Julius said through an incredulous grin. Vincent covered her eyes in disbelief.
They had just learned that they’d been given the top prize — $10,000 – on Project Pitch It, the Milwaukee-based TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a group of “moguls.”
“That was a genuine expression,” Vincent said in an interview this week. “We were so happy.”
The business they’d just pitched was JNJ Gifts and More, which produces custom gift boxes for corporate clients to give at holidays, anniversaries, onboarding and other special occasions.
Vincent came to Madison from India, where she earned undergraduate and MBA degrees in human resource management, almost 20 years ago. She had a storefront gift shop in Verona from 2016 to 2022, when she says her lease was not renewed. Losing the shop made for a tough few months, but she was able to pivot to online orders of corporate gifts. Since then, she’s been curating and packing high-end gift boxes for clients like Johnson & Johnson, KPMG and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She said trends in the most popular kind of gifts shift just about every year. In 2023 it was drink-related gifts, like tumblers and coasters and Old Fashioned mix; last year it was all about sustainability, like bamboo notebooks; and this year the trend is wellness, with gifts like teas and candles becoming popular.
For now, Vincent herself is JNJ’s only full-time employee, though she gets help from her husband, a computer engineer, and daughter Natania Julius, a junior at Vel Phillips Memorial High School who won the 365 Leadership Community Choice Award for High School Rising Star in 2023.
“I’m kind of like her all-round assistant. Whatever mom needs,” Julius said, which usually includes social media, client communication and helping design gift boxes.
The duo first appllied for Project Pitch It’s ninth season almost a year ago with a video pitch that they recorded themselves. After another round of submission, they learned they were one of 24 businesses to make the show. Each episode, three businesses make the pitch, with one winning $1,000, one $5,000, and one the top prize of $10,000. The win also comes with a mentoring session.
Vincent said they weren’t concerned about the money — didn’t even really know how much was on offer — but saw it as an opportunity for mentoriship and “free marketing.”
They went to Milwaukee to tape in January. They said they weren’t particularly nervous for their pitch — Julius relied on her experience as a member of her school’s debate team. They had to do a pitch of only about two minutes, and then answer some questions — Vincent said the moguls asked a lot more questions than made the final edit.
In the pitch, the pair explained how they intended to elevate the corporate gift experience with locally sourced items chosen specifically for the recipient, occasion and budget.
Watch the pitch:
“They were absolutely one of my favorites,” said Gina Della, vice president of marketing for Pella Windows and Doors and one of the moguls on the show. “I think they were unanimous to get the $10,000 prize … I think what stood out the most is they’re not just your typical corporate gift of candy in your box gift. It was very unique and described the person you want to send it to and why you want to send it, and they create based on the thought behind the person and what they do. And there’s nothing like that out there.”
Afterward, Vincent and Julius knew they’d nailed it.
“We walked out and we high fived immediately,” Julius said.
Still, they were shocked when producers called them back to the stage and they learned they’d receive the top prize.
Vincent said she intends to use the money to hire someone to update the company’s website and search engine optimization, as they’ve landed their largest clients simply through Google search.
“If (their potential) is equal to their passion and drive, they’re going to be very successful,” said Della, who is also the company’s new mentor. “They know how to now reach out to companies where they’re going to get repeat business.” She said Pella is now a customer as well, ordering gift boxes for new hires as well as their largest clients.
Vincent said she’ll call the business successful when she can hire full-time help.
“I’m really proud of my mom,” Julius said. “I just know that whatever God has in store for us, it’ll go really well.”
