Ten Arkansas entrepreneurs received seed funding in last week’s 2022 Pitch ‘N Pint competition sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Center and the Little Rock Area Chamber of Commerce.
Contestants Marissa Cahill, Kenitra Jones and Kathleen Lawson were awarded the top three after speaking in front of judges and a local audience at the Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock.
Community contestants included Verkeytia Long, Hudson Lawson and James Humphrey, who also won an audience voted award.
Bi-annual event featuring members of the Fall 2022 Spark! cohort, offering each participant the opportunity to pitch their business to a panel of local judges. spark! The cohort represents seven Arkansas-based small businesses that recently completed a 10-week accelerator that helped participating founders scale their companies through sales, marketing and business finance classes and connections with mentors. The seven founders include:
● Mariah Brown, LPC – Vision Project
● Marisa Cahill – Cahill Exterior Design
● Bo Dillon – Builder Bid
● Cheryl Humphrey – Candy Buta
● Kenitra Jones – Kenitra’s Travels
● Kathleen Lawson – sprinkles and spices
● Will Tidwell – SpeakUP Zee, LLC
“In its seventh year, Pitch ‘N Pint continues to inspire excitement and entrepreneurship among our local business leaders,” said Pamela Reed, managing director of community programs at the Venture Center. “We are grateful to the Little Rock Area Chamber of Commerce and its partners for their faithful support of small business growth and success, and we are excited to see how the seed funding secured will help these leaders navigate the next phase of growth.”
Prizes for the top three Sparks range from $3,000 to $1,000! The winner, Venture Capital Hub and its sponsors are amazed by the rest of the Spark! Contestants are $500 per person. Community entrants won prizes totaling $1,000. Overall, Arkansas small businesses received $9,000 during the event.
Winners include:
spark! Accelerator category:
1st Place – $3,000 Winner: Marissa Cahill, Cahill Exterior Design
2nd Place – $2,000 Winner: Kenitra Jones, Kenitra’s Travel
3rd Place – $1,000 Winner: Kathleen Lawson, Sprinkles and Spice
Community Entrepreneur Category:
1st Place – $500 Winner: Verkeytia Long, Xtreme Clean Janitorial and Cleaning Services
2nd Place – $300 Winner: Hudson Lawson, Book Project
3rd Place – $200 Winner: James Humphrey, James Humphrey Jr. Scholarship Fund
“It’s been inspiring to see the growth of this group over the past 10 weeks, and their confidence in Pitch ‘N Pint is why we continue to partner with Venture Center to deliver this event and the Spark! Small Business Accelerator Program,” Little Rock District Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jay Chesshir said. “Entrepreneurial growth is certainly a replicable process, and continuing to give early-stage entrepreneurs access to resources like seed funding and networking helps strengthen their vision and benefits Little Rock’s economic future.”