ADA, OKLAHOMA – Four start-up companies competed virtually on November 11th for cash prizes during The Big Pitch Ada hosted by the Ada Jobs Foundation (AJF).
Entrants applied to compete from across the state, with AJF selecting four finalists to pitch a new business idea, service, or product line, and be awarded money to further their innovation and expert feedback based on the quality of their presentation and overall business concept. This year, the Big Pitch allowed companies to pitch in two categories: a category for concept-stage ideas for a potential business, and a category for early stage businesses or product lines.
The selected finalists had five minutes to make their business pitch to a panel of judges consisting of industry experts, which was followed by questions and answers with the judges.
The winners were announced during the event and they are as follows:
- 1st Place in Idea Stage category awarded to Krystal Russell with Maker’s Market. Maker’s Market is a co-working community for artists and makers providing local and affordable access to studio space, tools, equipment, classes, and entrepreneurial resources for all skill levels.
- People’s Choice and Runner-up in Idea Stage category awarded to Charity Barton with cboriginal. cboriginal, llc is a multimedia company. The primary goal is to educate, inform, and entertain a Black audience, ages 2-70, led by a Black entrepreneur on subjects including social capital, social activism, mental + physical well-being and overall, self love. cboriginal fills gaps in representation that is missing in multiple sectors of Black people’s circumstances. To do this, the goal is to sell books about the Black lifestyle. Overall, cboriginal will tell intentional stories about the Black experience that, to date, have been untold.
- 1st Place in the Revenue Generating category awarded to Kelly McCord Brown with Krown International LLC . Krown Robes is a small retail company that offers a luxurious twist to an everyday necessity, the bathrobe. These one of a kind Krown Robes are the only bathrobes with an attached built-in Krown Hair wrap. This is the perfect solution to a huge problem.
- 2nd Place in Revenue Generating category awarded to Dr. Christine Pappas, Joseph Harris, and Brian Bahati-Oonga with Community Impact Glass Recycling. Community Impact Glass Recycling will bring glass recycling back to Ada. Residential and Commercial clients can purchase pick up or drop off access to our recycling services. Glass recycling is good watershed management.
“In it’s fourth year, we again had amazing entrepreneurial talent for The Big pitch Ada. We look forward to seeing each of them grow their businesses,” said James Eldridge, AJF President and CEO. “Through this event, the Startup Ada Boot Camp, and Community Entrepreneurship Hour we are fostering opportunities and building a culture of innovation in our community.”
Thank you to our sponsors LegalShield, REI Oklahoma, First United Bank of Ada, Pontotoc Technology Center, and Citizens Bank of Ada.
