Every May during Bronx Week, something unusual happens at a pitch competition that does not feel like a typical startup pitch event. There are no venture capitalists looking for unicorns. The businesses presenting are not chasing billion-dollar exits. They are Bronx entrepreneurs — people who grew up here, work here, and want to build something lasting here.
The BX-Factor Small Business Challenge, hosted by the Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC), is now a signature event of Bronx Week. This year’s competition took place on May 14, 2026, and it continued a tradition that has become one of the most meaningful showcases of the entrepreneurial spirit running through the Bronx.
What the BX-Factor Is
The competition is open to Bronx-based businesses with at least one year of operations and fewer than 20 employees. That means it is designed precisely for the kind of small, neighborhood-rooted business that rarely gets a spotlight — food entrepreneurs, wellness practitioners, retail owners, creative industry founders, and anyone building something uniquely Bronx.
Selected finalists pitch to a panel of judges. The winner takes home $15,000 in cash. But the prize is only part of what makes BX-Factor valuable.
This year, BXEDC partnered with the Business Tech Incubator at CUNY on the Concourse to offer a two-part workshop series before the competition. The sessions — held April 23 and April 30 at 2501 Grand Concourse — coached entrepreneurs on how to structure a pitch, tailor messaging to what judges care about, and handle tough Q&A. Finalists also got practice sessions with volunteers from Santander Bank. For many participants, that coaching is worth as much as the prize money.
This Year’s Winner: Wisdom of Age
The 2026 BX-Factor winner is Oscar Martinez, co-founder of Wisdom of Age — a Black-owned New York City luxury knitwear brand known for premium cardigans, rugby shirts, knitted jerseys, and outerwear that reflect a contemporary New York aesthetic rooted in craftsmanship and culture. Martinez took home the $15,000 top prize.
Wisdom of Age is exactly the kind of brand the BX-Factor was built to elevate: high-quality, deeply rooted in New York identity, and run by founders who understand the city not as a backdrop but as the point.
The Organization Behind It
BXEDC — the Bronx Economic Development Corporation — has its offices at 851 Grand Concourse and operates as one of the Bronx’s primary engines for small business support, lending, and economic strategy. Beyond BX-Factor, the organization runs business loan programs, connects entrepreneurs to local and federal resources, and recently contributed to a comprehensive economic development strategy shaped by input from more than 700 Bronx residents, workers, and small business owners.
The pitch competition is one visible face of a much deeper investment in making sure that economic opportunity in the Bronx does not skip the people who actually live there.
What You Need to Know
- The 2026 BX-Factor Small Business Challenge took place May 14, 2026, as part of Bronx Week
- Winner: Oscar Martinez of Wisdom of Age, a Black-owned luxury knitwear brand — took home $15,000
- The competition is open to Bronx businesses with at least one year of operations and fewer than 20 employees
- Free pitch prep workshops were offered in partnership with CUNY on the Concourse at 2501 Grand Concourse
- BXEDC is located at 851 Grand Concourse and offers business loans and technical assistance year-round
- Learn more at bxedc.org/bx-factor
The Bronx has one of the most dynamic small business communities in New York City, and programs like BX-Factor are part of why. If you want to understand the broader economics of living and working across the boroughs, our NYC Cost of Living breakdown for 2026 is a useful starting point.
