On November 1, 2019, Savannah’s award-winning chapter of SCORE will present its popular “BizPitch Savannah™” entrepreneurial competition. This “Shark Tank”-style event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM at The Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street.

Eight aspiring local entrepreneurs, chosen from 29 applicants, will pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges for the chance to win over $10,000 in cash and professional services to help them launch their new business.

The eight “BizPitch Savannah™ 2019” finalists are:

• Latora Bostic – “Geechee Grub” – Savannah’s first restaurant featuring authentic Gullah food and history.

• Charlene Dimond – “Integra Nutrix” – A unique integration of holistic therapies and traditional professional nursing practices to promote healing and well-being.

• Elbi Elm and Carmen McCullum – “The Culturist Union” – Co-working space for womxn who own a small business, freelance, or work from home who seek a place to engage other womxn for work and enjoyment.

• Andrew Holdnall – “Camphibian” – A Travel Trailer that has the boat stowed within it.

• Kerri King and Kenneth Mayer – “Bad Gateway Games” – Innovative new video game, “Before It’s Too Late,” with a spooky, but cute, nostalgic aesthetic and a focus on exploration and atmosphere, not hyper-violence.

• Fausta Luchini – “Fausta’s Place To Ponder” – Trauma Sensitive Coaching for compassionate professionals who are impacted by the trauma their clients have experienced.

• Maria Vaughan and Michael Wedum – “Code of Return Compost” – A green alternative to how trash is processed focusing on natural decomposition as a way to create nutrient-rich agricultural resources.

• Brandon and Contina Walters – “GamePlex Garage” – A 75-minute STEAM-based workshop that encourages creativity and learning through science, engineering, art, and teamwork.

Michael Siegel, Savannah SCORE Chairperson, said, “We are excited to be presenting “BizPitch Savannah™” again this year. This fun and exciting event is a great way to promote entrepreneurism, create new local businesses and jobs, and help the people of Savannah understand how important small businesses are to our community and our economy.”

Siegel added “We could not be presenting this fantastic event without the support and generosity of our many sponsors and donors. They include The City of Savannah, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Assistance Corporation, Savannah Economic Development Authority, BB&T, MassMutual, Wells Fargo-The Private Bank, Buy Local, Savannah Downtown Business Association, Georgia Southern University, GateHouse Media, HunterMacLean Attorneys, UGA’s Small Business Development Center, Carriage Trade Public Relations, Ad Specialty, Stafford Media Group, Podcast-On-The-Go, Kenkel Design, Salesdialers.com, and Sand Dollar Accounting Services.”

“BizPitch Savannah™ 2019” will take place on Friday, November 1 from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street, Savannah. Admission to the event is free and all are invited to attend.

SCORE is the nation’s largest provider of free business mentoring services to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. Over the past two years, Savannah SCORE has helped to create 299 new Savannah-area businesses and 497 new non-owner jobs. The Chapter was recently honored as SCORE’s “2019 Mid-Market Chapter of the Year” and is the only Platinum-level SCORE chapter in the State of Georgia.