The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce announced that Femly, a Maryland-based feminine hygiene company, is the first-place winner of the 2024 Pitch Competition at the fourth annual Athene Black & Brown Business Summit. The company was awarded $20,000. The second-place winner is Lightly, and the third-place winner is Fresh Mediterranean Express, a Waukee-based restaurant. Seven finalists were chosen from more than 100 applications across the U.S. to give a five-minute business pitch in front of judges at the event. “Femly is on the forefront of a mission to increase organic feminine hygiene access through smart dispensing,” said Arion Long, Founder & CEO of Femly, in a prepared statement. “This award will allow us to expand and partner with colleges, hospitals, hotels and more throughout Des Moines.”