NEWS

Last week, Savannah SCORE announced the names of the eight aspiring local entrepreneurs who will vie for over $10,000 in cash and professional services at SCORE’s second annual BizPitch Savannah™ Entrepreneurial Competition. The goals of the event are to recognize and reward entrepreneurial creativity and excellence, to raise awareness of entrepreneurship and the essential role of small business in our community, and to help create new local businesses and jobs. The local SCORE chapter narrowed the field of contestants down from 28 aspiring local entrepreneurs who submitted applications to be BizPitch Savannah™ contestants. The final eight will be making their pitches at a “Shark Tank”-style event on September 6 at the Coastal Georgia Center.

The eight finalists are:

• Latora Bostic – “Geechee Grub” – Savannah’s first restaurant featuring authentic Gullah food and history.
• Charlene Dimond – “Integra Nutra” – A unique integration of holistic therapies and traditional nursing practices to promote healing and well-being
• Ashley Elm, Carmen McCullum, and Chelsea McLauren – “The Culturist Union” – Co-working space for womxn who own a small business, freelance, or work from home who seek a place to engage other womxn for work and enjoyment.
• Andrew Holdnall – “Camphibian” – A Travel Trailer that has the boat stowed within it.
• Kerri King and Kenneth Mayer – “Bad Gateway Games” – Innovative new video game, “Before It’s Too Late,” with a spooky, but cute, nostalgic aesthetic and a focus on exploration and atmosphere, not hyper-violence.
• Fausta Luchini – “Fausta’s Place To Ponder” – Trauma Sensitive Coaching for compassionate professionals who are impacted by trauma their clients have experienced.
• Maria Vaughan and Michael Wedum – “Code of Return Compost” – A green alternative to how trash is processed focusing on natural decomposition as a way to create nutrient-rich agricultural resources.
• Brandon and Contina Walters – “GamePlex Garage” – A 75-minute STEAM-based workshop that encourages creativity and learning through science, engineering, art, and teamwork.

BizPitch Savannah™ 2019 will take place on Friday, September 6 from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street. Admission to the event is free and all are invited to attend.  

SCORE is the nation’s largest provider of free business mentoring services to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. Over the past two years, Savannah SCORE has helped to create 299 new Savannah-area businesses and 497 new non-owner jobs. The Chapter was recently honored as SCORE’s “2019 Mid-Market Chapter of the Year” and is the only Platinum-level SCORE chapter in the State of Georgia. Congratulations to the top eight finalists!