Beckley, W.Va. (April 3, 2023) – Six regional entrepreneurs and two teams of West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) students shared and enthusiastically promoted their business ideas March 30 with a panel of judges and a live audience at the Pitch Southern West Virginia Business Idea Competition on the WVU Tech campus. The judges and attendees selected the winners, who received strategic feedback and encouragement, as well as prize money from the event sponsors to boost their success.
The West Virginia Hive, in partnership with the WVU Tech Launch Lab, coordinated the competition and organized the event.
Diana Woods, director of the WVU Tech Launch Lab and coordinator of the event, said the following entrepreneurs/business owners and student entrepreneurs were determined to have the best business ideas:
First Place – $2,250 to Hinton Outfitters, pitched by Lee Ann Goins of Hinton
Second Place – $1,250 to Paws N Pals, pitched by Corey Lacy of Beckley
Third Place – $750 to Vinyl Tracks LLC, pitched by Clint Blunt of Beckley
Student Winner – $1,000 to WVU Tech Entrepreneurship Club for Cultural Lounge, pitched by Zack Reid and Leonor Ferreira
Prize winnings provided by private contributors to the West Virginia Hive will be used to advance the winners’ businesses or ideas. Planned spending by the four winners includes purchases of furnishings and equipment, lease and opening costs, signage, marketing and production.
Judy Moore, executive director of the West Virginia Hive and deputy director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, said “the presenters were outstanding and learned a great deal through this experience — from formulating their business idea to fleshing it out for a pitch before a live audience and our expert judges. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our community sponsors for providing the generous cash prizes. They came out in full force – so much so we were able to increase the planned amounts for entrepreneurs by $250 for each award level.”
Sponsors supporting the business idea pitch competition and providing all funding for the awards include:
Judges who heard the pitches and offered questions included:
Those in attendance also had the opportunity to vote for their favorite pitch in each group.
Judges in the first round who selected the entrepreneurs and student groups who would pitch their business ideas March 30 included:
Woods said the business idea competition was limited to entrepreneurs of new start-ups and businesses in operation for less than three years. Eligibility was limited to residents or businesses located in Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, Mercer, Wyoming, McDowell, Logan, and Mingo Counties, along with WVU Tech students, faculty and staff.
Leaders of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) and its entrepreneurial program – the West Virginia Hive – are seeking the community’s input by the end of the year on several aspects of a new Food Business Incubation Hub in Fayette County.
Leading local non-profit organizations — Forward Southern West Virginia and New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) — are donating $10,000 each to help propel an education and training campaign, Project GRACE (Gathered Response to Address Child Exploitation), being coordinated by Just for Kids Child Advocacy Center serving Fayette and Raleigh counties.
Leaders of the West Virginia Hive announced today the winning entrepreneurs who presented their business strategies last evening at the 2024 Pitch Southern West Virginia Business Idea Competition.
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