WISE Presents: 8 Local Businesses Compete in Retail Pitch Competition

WISE Women’s Business Center to Host Pitch Competition with Cash Prizes for Winners

The WISE Women’s Business Center will host a Retail Pitch Competition for local businesses at La Casita Cultural Center. Eight finalists were selected to compete from over 20 entrants.  Each finalist will have three minutes or less to pitch their business to a panel of judges and a live audience.

Join WISE and the local business community in cheering on these women entrepreneurs!

The eight finalists are: Elizabeth Ann Blackburn, Owner, Dizzy Lizzie’s Farm; Emily Lee, Owner, KimonaPinoy; Adrienne Peltz, Co-owner, Forge Gone Conclusions; Kahssia Hills ’19 (iSchool), Owner, 210 Teas; Jasmine Coan, Owner, On The One; Lisa Loftus, Owner, Yellow Table Studio; Chartese Rivers, Founder, Cherry Beez Corp.; and Ciarah Richardson, Owner, All Things Plush. The competition was open to women with existing retail businesses, or viable retail business ideas. Only original ideas could be submitted. All competitors are graduates of major WISE programs from March 2020 onward, WISE business counseling clients, or nominees from WISE partner organizations.

The event will begin at 5:30 pm with a networking reception, with the pitch competition kicking off at 6:15 pm. WISE Director, Meghan Florkowski will give some opening words before Jackie Ferrari, Founder/CEO, American Fashion Network, LLC, takes the stage as the evening’s keynote speaker. The event is expected to wrap up at 8 pm.

This exciting competition will be judged by Alyse Holstein, Founder/CEO, HPG Partners; Carlene Lacey, US Principal Community Relations & Operations Manager, National Grid (Grid for Good); Tamika Otis, Corporate Responsibility & Community Relations Officer, KeyBank; and Jackie Ferrari.  The panel will judge contestants on how well they identify their target customer, understand competitors in their market, speak to market opportunities and competition, product/service viability, business model sustainability, and overall attractiveness of their business opportunity. These skills are key to the foundation of a successful business.

Businesses who place in the top three in the competition will be eligible to win cash prizes. Grand prize is $3,500, second prize is $1,000, and third place will receive $500. For a small business just starting out, every penny counts, and winning a cash prize could make a major impact in their startup costs. All contestants received training on how to competitively pitch your business, as well as mentoring from local experts. The mentors are: Jenn Farwell, Community Leader, Innovation Collective; Erin Draper, Director of Experiential Programs, Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University; Rajiv Soman, Director, Purity Services, Materials Science Division, Eurofins EAG Laboratories; Mirza Tihic, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Research Fellow – Post Doctoral, Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University; Maithreyee Dube, Manager, Enrollment Services, Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University; Melissa Davis, Agriculture Business Development and Marketing Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County; Indaria Jones, CEO, The Creators Lounge; and Latisia Hall-Cannon, CEO, UrbanTsyr.

This event is funded through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. WISE is hosted by the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.