Explorest CEO wins Connect: Creative, a startup pitch competition connecting media to exciting new companies

Justin Myers, the CEO of the travel photography app Explorest, has been named the winner of the Connect: Creative startup pitch competition.

Explorest is a social app that gives users tips from professional photographers and travel experts on the best places to take photos when traveling through locations across the world.

Boasting nearly 850 photo locations throughout North America, as well as more than 440 each in Europe and Asia, the app is perfect for those travelers who want to capture the most photogenic memories they can on their vacations. The app also provides insight from the experts on the best time of year, time of day, and angles from which to shoot iconic and little-known landscapes across the globe. 

Since its launch in 2017, Explorest has allowed its users to get amazing photos during their travels that they can then upload to Instagram or other apps.

The Connect: Creative competition saw Myers and four other startup leaders pitch their ideas to a panel of media judges, who gave feedback and digged deeper for insights on each of the startups. The competition was judged by media members from publications like Forbes, Digiday, AdAge, Sifted from the Financial Times, and others. 

The full judges panel included:

With Explorest, Myers beat out four other startups in the virtual contest that took place last week.

The full list of entrepreneurs who pitched their startups at the event was:

The event kicked off with talks from a pair of special guests who happen to be figureheads in the world of startups.

Juliette Peyronnet of the accelerator Impact USA started things off. The international accelerator helps French companies find their footing and expand in North America. Backed by Business France – the French government’s leading economic development agency – Impact USA portfolio companies have raised over $1 billion dollars in funding so far.

Following Peyronnet was actor and comedian Paul Charney, who is now the co-founder and CEO of Funworks, an Oakland-based creative ad agency. Named a 2018 Small Agency of the Year by AdAge, Funworks uses psychology and neuroscience tools to encourage collaboration and deeper design thinking.

Connect: Creative is part of a series of Connect events put on by Publicize. Previous events have been held all over the world in cities like Mexico City, Bogotá, and Miami. 

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