The 1010 WINS Small Business Challenge, hosted several times a year by Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC) President Rob Walsh, showcases the innovation and drive of small business owners competing for a $10,000 prize. The most recent competition saw Ashonda Culcleasure, founder of the ed-tech company Fix it with Piggy, take home the top prize after delivering a pitch that saw the entire audience and the judges captivated by her story.
With just two minutes to present her case, Culcleasure made every second count, sharing her journey and vision with a commanding presence. Before founding Fix it with Piggy—named after her childhood nickname—she operated Piggy’s Repairs, LLC, a pandemic-era business where she repaired electronic devices like phones and computers from her home.
In 2023, Culcleasure decided that she wanted to pass her skills along to the next generation — particularly Black and Hispanic kids—as she realized they were underrepresented in the tech field. She changed her business to be solely ed-tech, and renamed it Fix it with Piggy. Partnering with schools and youth organizations, she has taught hundreds of kids ages 9 to 18 how to mend a cracked screen, fix a broken charging port and more.
Culcleasure explained to the judges that the $10,000 prize, if awarded to her, would go toward establishing a location for her to teach free classes in hardware and software repairs, tech repairs, web development and more to Bronx high school and college students. With the experience they gain while working with Culcleasure, they can apply for jobs in the tech industry.
Culcleasure’s efforts to expand her ed-tech business is a gift for The Bronx that will never stop giving. Once the learning site is established with the prize money, so many children in the borough will benefit from what they can learn from her, and the tech industry will become more inclusive.
If you’re interested in learning more about Culcleasure’s classes, take a look at her website fixitwithpiggy.com.
