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pitch contest

Blue Hills Natural Food Market owner Dirk Moore says the Gauntlet program helped him find support in expanding his business. Photo by Earl Neikirk
May 30, 2023

Startup competition expands to SWVA

Rural communities need extra love when it comes to additional business resources, says Kathy Deacon, vice president of business and resource development for the Vinton-based Advancement Foundation. The foundation has been running “The Gauntlet,” a business program and pitch competition, since 2015, expanding it into Southwest Virginia this year. Since the program is run online, […]

Oct 28, 2022

Richmond wellness space gets shot from Jack Daniel’s

On his 33rd birthday, Brelan Hillman learned that BareSOUL Yoga and Wellness was selected as one of six finalists to compete for $10,000 in a pitch contest for Black-owned businesses in Richmond. With just a weekend to prepare, Hillman, a business partner and board member for BareSOUL, crafted his three-minute appeal to connect Richmond’s history […]

Aug 29, 2022

StartVirginia: Hopewell businesses get boost from pitch contest

Jonathan Montiel and his business partners, Phillip and Lexi Hughes, bought a building in downtown Hopewell and asked community members what they needed. Their answer: more restaurants. That’s how City Point Ice Cream & Burgers was born, and the trio think it’s also why they won the $15,000 first prize in the Homegrown for Hopewell […]

Jul 15, 2022

Hopewell businesses get boost after pitch competiton

Jonathan Montiel and his business partners Phillip and Lexi Hughes bought a building in downtown Hopewell and then asked community members what they needed. Their answer: more restaurants. That’s how City Point Ice Cream & Burgers was born, and it’s why the trio think they won the $15,000 first prize in the Homegrown for Hopewell […]

Ourobio co-founders Kobe Rogers (L) and Alec Brewer were “shark favorite” in Lighthouse Labs’ spring pitch contest. Photo by Jay Paul
Jun 28, 2022

Bio-plastics startup wins Lighthouse Labs pitch contest

While pitching to the sharks, entrepreneur Alec Brewer told them, “I do have white powder in my pocket,” before quickly clarifying that it wasn’t an illicit substance: “It’s PHB! It’s PHB!” The co-founder and CEO of Charlottesville-based biodegradable plastics manufacturer Ourobio, Brewer explained that his company makes PHB, or polyhydroxybutyrate, from waste in order to[...]

May 25, 2022

Bio-plastic startup wins Lighthouse Labs pitch contest

While pitching to the sharks, entrepreneur Alec Brewer told them, “I do have white powder in my pocket,” before quickly clarifying that it wasn’t an illicit substance: “It’s PHB! It’s PHB!” Brewer passed the vial over for the sharks’ inspection during his Lighthouse Labs Demo Day pitch Thursday for his company, Ourobio, of which he […]

Apr 27, 2021

Danville chamber announces winners of first pitch competition

On Monday, the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce announced it had awarded four businesses a total of $50,000 in order to open or expand in Danville and Pittsylvania County as part of the chamber’s new entrepreneurship competition. Called Rev Up Danville Pittsylvania, the entrepreneurship pitch competition was based on the River District Association’s Dream […]

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