WELLSBURG — A number of people or teams with concepts for brand spanking new enterprise ventures will vie for a number of 1000’s of {dollars} to assist them make their objectives a actuality in a contest to be held Tuesday at Brooke Excessive Faculty.

The Ohio Valley Enterprise Alliance Corp. will maintain its first Enterprise Pitch Contest at 5:30 p.m. within the faculty’s auditorium.

Admission is free for the occasion, which OVBAC member David Klick expects to be fairly attention-grabbing.

“We have now lots of people who’ve put a variety of time and thought into their tasks,” stated Klick, noting the seven rivals from Brooke and Hancock counties with ambitions for a variety of enterprises.

Klick is co-chairing the occasion with Dr. Heather Stone and Joan Simonetti.

He’s amongst many alliance members with previous ties to the Wellsburg Chamber of Commerce and the previous Brooke County Financial Growth Authority, which had teamed for a number of years to carry enterprise pitch contests.

“This 12 months I’d say we’ve got the very best candidates since I’ve been concerned with the pitch. And it’s the most important pot for the winners,” he stated.

Klick stated due to the generosity of native companies and different organizations, the group will divide $8,000 among the many two winners, with the most important quantity going to the one which locations first.

He famous the prize cash shall be disbursed as the 2 enterprise ideas are developed.

Klick stated the competition is analogous in format to tv’s “Shark Tank,” with the contestants given a restricted time to ship their proposals to a panel of 5 judges.

The 5 are: Luke Diserio, chief government officer of American Muscle Docks and Fabrication; Kelly Jeffers, winner of the final enterprise pitch; Ingrid Loy, a advertising teacher at West Liberty College; Jay McLaughlin, vice chairman of accounting and finance at Wheeling-Nippon Metal; and Weirton lawyer Michael Simon.

Every of the contestants has been instructed to organize a presentation that features estimated prices for his or her endeavor, their focused market and their imaginative and prescient for the enterprise in two to 5 years.

“We have now lots of people who’ve put a variety of time and thought into their tasks,” stated Klick.

To assist the contestants put together, the Ohio Valley Enterprise Alliance has invited them to the West Virginia Small Enterprise Growth Heart’s Inspiring You sequence of seminars and referring them to different sources.

Held on the Brooke County Public Library, the free seminars provide steering to aspiring and current enterprise house owners in matters starting from growing a marketing strategy to advertising their items and companies to potential clients to understanding monetary statements.

Along with the occasion’s sponsors, Klick expressed due to the chambers of commerce of Weirton, Follansbee and Wellsburg, which even have offered help; and Brooke County faculty officers for making the auditorium out there for the group.

He stated the group hopes to spur financial development all through the Northern Panhandle and sees occasions like the competition as a solution to help that.

“We expect this might actually be sufficient to maneuver the needle for somebody,” stated Klick.

(Scott might be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

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