Business meets entertainment as local innovators pitch their ventures in front of a diverse panel of local business executives for a chance to win a total of $20,000 in prizes. The Center Street Pitch Competition, a joint initiative by Dominion Energy Innovation Center and Downtown Ashland Association, is set to ignite Hanover’s entrepreneurial spirit Shark Tank-style.
Three prizes will be awarded to entrepreneurs in Agriculture & Forestry, a Business Expansion, and a Startup Business. Each winner will triumphantly walk away with $5,000 cash, a free year-long coworking membership to the Dominion Energy Innovation Center, and - of course - bragging rights.
Applications from entrepreneurs in all industries are being accepted through March 14. Organizers hope the Center Street Pitch Competition will offer exciting opportunities for local entrepreneurs - especially for small businesses owned by women and minorities in the Town of Ashland and Hanover County. Downtown Ashland Association has employed the talents of Dorian Cunion of Your Path Coaching & Consulting to coach applicants through their five-minute pitch presentation on March 5 at the Gathering Place.
"Through the Center Street Pitch Competition, we're celebrating nine years of empowering local entrepreneurs and igniting their innovative spirit with early-stage capital," said Adam Sledd, Executive Director of the DEIC. "This year, is particularly exciting as we partner with the Downtown Ashland Association to increase the prize pool and focus on a diverse set of mainstreet businesses that make Ashland and Hanover a thriving community."
The Center Street Pitch Competition is sponsored by partners DEIC and Downtown Ashland Association to encourage entrepreneurship in our local community. The community organizations support small business owners year-round with mentorship, networking, and workshops.
“Ashland and Hanover County are home to many extraordinary entrepreneurs and we are proud to offer prizes that recognize their work,” said Maggie Beal Longest, executive director of Downtown Ashland Association.
Eight practical workshops are currently scheduled to present strategies and tactics small businesses can use immediately. Entrepreneurs of all kinds and at all stages are invited to join these free and accessible gatherings at The Gathering Place (155 Junction Dr, Ashland, VA 23005). Video recordings and Spanish translations of each presentation will be made available at a later date.
More information on the Center Street Pitch Competition and entrepreneurial incentives, meetings, and more can be found at www.AshlandVirginia.com/2024