WILMINGTON — Voting is open for NC’s first Small Business Center Network Startup Showdown until Sept 15, with married finalists Kevin Roberts and Anna Barrett representing Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center.
The Startup Showdown, funded by a partnership with the Wells Fargo Foundation, was created to seek out potential entrepreneurs and provide high-quality business education. It also is a way to connect entrepreneurs with the mentorship, resources, and visibility they need to start a successful business.
The Startup Showdown applicants had to be aspiring entrepreneurs, pitching a new business. In addition, they had to complete the REAL Entrepreneurship training course along with three hours of business counseling with their local Small Business Center.
The couple representing CFCC, Roberts and Barrett, developed a patent-pending, cake-serving tool designed for customizable slice sizes leading to reduced food waste, called Cakebelle. They developed their business with the help from CFCC Small Business Center Director Jerry Coleman.
Along with Roberts and Barrett, there will be 16 other finalists competing for startup funding. The business placed third will get $10,000, second place gets $20,000, and the first place business will get $30,000.
Voters may vote for Roberts and Barrett online by visiting the North Carolina Small Business Center Network’s YouTube channel, click on the pitch video for Cakebelle, and hit the like button. Each like on the video counts as a vote.
The winners will be announced on Sept 17 at an awards ceremony in Raleigh.
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