PRESS RELEASE: Winners of the Big Pitch: Ada 2022 Announced

November 18, 2022 by Jessika Leatherbury

*Madalyn Hess, People’s Choice and 1st Place winner in the Idea Stage Category pitches her business “Take It Easel” to the panel of judges and a live audience.*

ADA, OKLAHOMA – Five start-up companies competed on November 17 for cash prizes during the fifth annual Big Pitch: Ada 2022 hosted by the Ada Jobs Foundation (AJF).

Entrants applied to compete from across the state, with judges selecting five 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: revenue generating companies and idea-stage companies.

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. A live audience was present, encouraging the entrepreneurs and voting during the People’s Choice portion of the contest.

The winners were announced during the event and they are as follows:

People’s Choice and 1st Place in the Idea Stage category awarded to Madalyn Hess with Take it Easel. A women’s art studio with subscription model payments that provides 1-4 fully supplied art classes per month for women between the ages of 21 and 65 in McCurtain County, OK.
2nd Place in Idea Stage category awarded to Zoe Tanner with CannaBean. Coffee shop that infuses the compound in Marijuana that gets you “high” (THC) in the coffee served. Each customer infuses their coffee to the dosage and type of high they want to receive.
1st Place in Revenue Generating category awarded to Andrew Long with Long MSP. To provide responsive, dedicated IT support and managed technology services to local businesses in Ada and southeastern Oklahoma.
2nd Place in Revenue Generating category awarded to Chip Paul with Neighborhood Nutrition. Helping individuals thrive rather than just survive. This is done through one-on-one consultations, natural product recommendations, and by utilizing scientific applications of natural healing methods.

The other company making a pitch included Drew and Chad Short with Digital Media Development LLC. A leader in providing businesses with high-end video content, professional editing, and media-driven campaigns.

“We are growing our regional entrepreneurship ecosystem by hosting the Big Pitch annually,” said Ashia Todd, AJF Startup Community Manager and Big Pitch organizer. “This event is a celebration of our rural entrepreneurship community in Ada and provides an additional opportunity to continue talking about growing startups and innovation in our area.”

Thank you to our sponsors PPLSI, Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma, First United Bank, Citizens Bank of Ada, and Pontotoc Technology Center.

For more information contact the Ada Jobs Foundation at 580.235.0070 or info@growada.com

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