You can help select the winner of the fifth Greenbrier Valley Entrepreneur Café from a varied field of creative projects with funding needs to launch or expand a business. BB&T has donated $500 for the base seed funding for the June 10 event. Attendees contribute $10 to the boost the seed funding and receive a delicious supper and competition ballot. Serving as a judge for the informative and entertaining evening encourages innovators and helps our local economy. BB&T’s Senior Vice President Debby Sizemore will serve as moderator of the event and Sam’s Club will sponsor the supper for attendees. Supper begins at 5:30 p.m. at Greenbrier Public Library in the lower level, with the competition to begin at 6:00 with five minute presentations from each contestant. Contestants pitching their ideas include one high school student, Alexis McCarty with Refingunt Stylings with a need for equipment and products. Other contestants include Jesica Temple of Shake it Out - a health product mixing device with a need for prototype funding; Sherry McCormick-Hawkins of Fit Your Way - an in-home personal training business with a need for wellness visual aids and exercise equipment; Sonny Bennett with Johnson Youth Aviation Academy - non-profit to provide aviation training for at risk youth with a need for funding to overhaul a donated Cessna; and Jorn Mork of Studio Jorn with a need for production costs for an artistic new gift item; and Jackie and Denny Brown of The Pepper Shed have needs for product development and business expansion. The Greenbrier Valley Entrepreneur Café is organized by a partnership of Greenbrier Valley Economic Development, New River Community and Technical College and the Greater Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce. If you plan to attend, please reserve your spot by clicking the Registration tab at www.gvecafe.com to register to be a judge and one of our crowd-funders encouraging local economic development. For more information, please email Katie Ickes at visability7@gmail.com.
