Ten entrepreneurs secured seed funds through The Venture Center and the Little Rock Regional Chamber's 2022 Pitch 'N Pint competition, the organizations announced.
Participants delivered pitches in front of a panel of judges and an audience of supporters at the Ron Robinson Theater. Prizes ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 for the top three candidates in the Spark! accelerator category, a cohort of small businesses that recently completed a 10-week program to scale their company through a sales, marketing and business finance curriculum.
Results in the category were:
- First Place – $3,000 Winner: Marissa Cahill, Cahill Exterior Design
- Second Place – $2,000 Winner: Kenitra Jones, Kenitra's Travel
- Third Place – $1,000 Winner: Kathleen Lawson, Sprinkles and Spice
The remaining Spark! contestants were awarded $500 each.
Community contestants took home prizes totaling $1,000. The winners include:
- First Place – $500 Winner: Verkeytia Long, Xtreme Clean Janitorial and Cleaning Services
- Second Place – $300 Winner: Hudson Lawson, Book Project
- Third Place – $200 Winner: James Humphrey, James Humphrey Jr. Scholarship Fund
"Entrepreneurial growth is certainly a replicable process and continuing to give early-stage entrepreneurs exposure to resources like seed funding and networking helps bolster their vision and benefits Little Rock’s economic future," Jay Chessir, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber, said in a news release.
