Pitch Southern West Virginia Business Idea Competition winners land ,500 in prize winnings and technical assistance

Beckley, W.Va. (WVDN) – Five group entrepreneurs and 3 groups of West Virginia University Institute of Technologies (WVU Tech) learners presented their business enterprise concepts past night time ahead of an expert panel of judges and a live audience at the Pitch Southern West Virginia Small business Strategy Opposition on the WVU Tech campus. The judges and attendees selected the winners, who received strategic feedback, consulting and specialized assistance, and prize money to enable bring their strategies into reality.

The West Virginia Hive, in partnership with the WVU Tech Launch Lab, done the competition. 

Diana Woods, director of the WVU Tech Launch Lab and coordinator of the occasion, claimed the following business people/enterprise homeowners and pupil business owners had been chosen as owning the most effective company suggestions of the level of competition:

1st position Local community Division award of $2,250 cash and $2,500 in Complex Support resources: Trey Swartz – Southern Pillar Jeweler from Fayette County

2nd area Local community Division award of $1,000 cash and $1,500 in Specialized Aid funds: Peter S. Corum – SEE Appalachia LLC from McDowell County

3rd spot Neighborhood Division award of $500 hard cash and $750 in Technological Help funds: Matthew Moore – Areas, LLC from Raleigh County

1st location College student Division award of $1,000 Money, $2,500 in Technical Help money, and Audience Favourite for a different $250: Ellen Groves & Jacob Odell – Sanctum Tor Farm

2nd area Pupil Division award of $1,500 in Specialized Assistance funds: WVU Tech Entrepreneurship Club

3rd spot University student Division award of $750 in Technological Guidance resources: Ana Noguera and Juan Martinez

Hard cash prizes supplied by personal donations from sponsors to the West Virginia Hive will be employed to advance the winners’ company suggestions. United Bank and the New River Gorge Regional Enhancement Authority (NRGRDA) — gold sponsors — and Stephens Auto and WV Automobile Potential buyers — silver sponsor — donated the money prizes. More awards of complex assistance resources are delivered by the WV Hive and are made doable by U.S. Little Company Administration grant funding. 

Judy Moore, government director of the West Virginia Hive and deputy director of NRGRDA, mentioned, “The presenters ended up fantastic and discovered a good deal through this expertise — from formulating their small business strategies to developing them out for a pitch before a stay viewers and our expert judges. We’d like to thank our local community sponsors for furnishing the generous income prizes, which are deeply appreciated by our winners. Our Pitch Southern West Virginia Organization Plan competitors encourages innovation and is a big portion of our efforts to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem in southern West Virginia.”

Judges for the evening’s levels of competition integrated:

  • Ryan Thorn, Point out Director, West Virginia, Rural Advancement, United States Section of Agriculture (USDA)
  • Dr. Scott Fleming, Dean, School of Small business, Humanities and Social Sciences, WVU Tech
  • Connor Golden, Enterprise Banking Portfolio Manager, United Financial institution
  • Christopher R. Vaught, President and CEO, Vaught, Inc.

Those in attendance also experienced the option to vote for their favored pitch. 

Judges in the initially spherical who picked the entrepreneurs and scholar teams who would pitch their business enterprise suggestions at the competition provided:

  • Dr. Jo Harris, President Emeritus of BridgeValley Neighborhood and Technical College
  • Peyton Ballard, Founder and CEO, Ballard Consulting Team
  • Mike Fulton, Director of Community Affairs and Advocacy, Asher Company

Woods stated the organization plan competitors was constrained to business owners of new begin-ups and companies in operation for a lot less than three a long time. Eligibility was limited to citizens or corporations located in Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, Mercer, Wyoming, McDowell, Logan, and Mingo Counties, alongside with WVU Tech pupils, college and employees.