About the 2024 Ready, Set, Pitch! Event

More than 300 entrepreneurs have graduated from the Good Enterprises Initiative’s Community Business Academy. We have watched these mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and cousins plan for, start, and grow their own businesses. We have seen them overcome obstacles, take risks, and face all kinds of daunting challenges in order to support their families, build wealth, and improve their communities.

Lowcountry Local First believes that entrepreneurship is a powerful engine for community change and is committed to seeing these new businesses receive the attention and investment they deserve.

The “Ready, Set, Pitch!” event gave Community Business Academy graduates the opportunity to share their stories, ideas, vision, and plan. Five finalists received access to expert advice and coaching to help them through the pitch process and beyond. All finalists will receive a one hour marketing consultation with Omnisend, and a one hour legal consultation with Epstein Law. Each of the five finalists will be supported if they choose to apply for a 0% interest loan of up to $15,000. Our esteemed panel of judges selected one talented and driven individual to receive a $10,000 prize to help take their business to the next level.

2024 Ready, Set, Pitch! Event was held on September 21, 2024 at the Royal Missionary Family Life and Banquet Center. The $10,000 grand prize was awarded to Tana Dukes founder of The Genuine Ranch Company.

Tana plans to use this funding to hire a marketing firm for rebranding and expanding her online presence, purchase bottling equipment to boost production, and invest in packaging and ingredient inventory.

Pitch Process:

- Attend a mandatory information session
- July 3: All participants are required to submit a 60-second pitch video and three slides.
- July 3-18: Review and evaluate video and slide submissions. Submit evaluations to Brittany Lucas (Brittany@lowcountrylocalfirst.org) no later than 7/18/24.
- July 19: Top 5 entrepreneurs announced via a Virtual Event. Pitch deck templates are distributed to finalists.
  - Nadine Johnson – Your Mobile Tutor (Spring ’24)
  - Tana Dukes – The Genuine Ranch (Fall ’22)
  - Tremaine Abena Moore – Naturally Geechee (Spring ’24)
  - LaShaya Norton – Wanderland Mobile Grocery (Spring ’23)
  - Christie Wheeler – Take a Bite Desserts (Spring ’23)

- August 12 – September 13: Individual coaching sessions scheduled with top 5 entrepreneurs.
- September 21: Pitch Day (2PM – 4PM, Royal Missionary Baptist Church)
- September 23: Winner and top 5 entrepreneurs publicly announced through press release

New this year, each of the Pitch finalists will be supported if they choose to apply for a loan through Kiva, a global microfinance platform that gives our finalists the opportunity to borrow up to $15,000 at 0% interest.

Kiva is the Key

The entrepreneurs graduating from Lowcountry Local First’s Good Enterprise initiative need investment to grow, and for as little as $25, you can help. For so many emerging entrepreneurs, conventional loans are out of reach. Our graduates need affordable credit to invest in inventory, equipment and expansion.

Your contribution helps prove their creditworthiness and builds momentum in their campaign. Each participating entrepreneur must obtain a certain minimum number of $25 donations in order to continue on to the public fundraising round where their business can be backed by Kiva’s global community of 1.6 million lenders. Let’s Invest Local by showing our support of these amazing entrepreneurs!

View Nadine Johnson’s campaign on Kiva and invest in Your Mobile Tutor today!