Thursday, June 13th, Village Launch hosted its third annual “FUEL” Pitch Contest. It was an exciting night full of emotion, anticipation, and joy. The evening began with a networking event, allowing attendees to meet the five finalists and visit their tables to learn more about their companies before the pitching began. Each finalist was an alumnus of the Village Launch Program, and all five went home with financial assistance for their business.

We had the chance to speak with Melissa Williams, Village Launch Program Coordinator before the event, and she perfectly captured their mission: “We cannot wait to push them in their endeavors with some financial assistance.” This event provides funding for minority and women-owned businesses, enabling them to expand and succeed.

After months of preparation, the finalists took the stage at 6:00 PM to showcase their businesses and hard work to the panel of five judges and the full audience.

Something that really stood out during the event was the amount of support each participant had for one another. On top of that, the support for the program was clear when graduates from previous years attended to give back. Highlighting this was the attendance of the two first-place winners from the first two pitch competitions. LaShonn Edwards, founder of CAIRS Shoes and the first-ever “FUEL” pitch competition winner, served on the panel of judges. Just two years after pitching herself, she surely felt a sense of relief to be on the other side.

Last year’s winner, Walter Lee, founder of Dr. Walt’s Company, gave a surprise presentation to the crowd, and he brought the energy. From the moment he stepped on stage, the crowd was entertained, dancing, laughing, and clapping along the entire time. Lee spoke about the importance of taking the first step in your journey and continuing to get up after you fall, a crucial lesson for any founder, as he experienced firsthand.

Lee shared a story about a time he lost his bracelet and found positivity in the situation. “Maybe the allotted time for me to own it has passed. If I find it, I will experience the same joy I felt when I got it. But if I don’t, I will release it to someone else with just as much joy as I had.” His message was clear: even in difficult situations, there can be positive outcomes. This translates perfectly to the life of an entrepreneur, where success often requires moving forward not with fear of the unknown, but with faith that it will work out.

While Lee was presenting, the judges deliberated to decide who would take home the grand prize of $10,000 for their business. The five finalists finished in the following order:

1. Jacinda Smith, founder of Drive Smart Academy, an academy promoting safe drivers, with 280 graduated students of all ages.
2. Javela Singleton, founder of Gifted Hands Artisan Soap, crafting beautiful, all-natural, chemical-free soaps.
3. Kristopher Thorpe, founder of Boditect, a workout program designed to help busy individuals lose body fat and build muscle.
4. Tracy Fields, founder of Fields Bright Therapy and Consultation, offers retreat-style therapy for couples.
5. Stufona Latta, founder of Bake Your Mark, builds custom-packaged desserts with QR codes to help companies gather real-time customer preference data.

Announcing the winners was a beautiful moment, especially witnessing the emotion that Smith brought to the event. She cried tears of joy upon realizing she would receive $10,000 to help grow her academy. She shared her plans to use the funds to buy another car and hire another driving instructor, allowing her to expand her personable approach to driving instruction across the Upstate. She emphasized her unique and caring teaching style, saying, “We meet you where you are. If you don’t know how to turn, we’ll stay in the parking lot until you figure it out.”

The support and encouragement among the finalists were heartwarming, as they cheered each other on throughout the event and offered big hugs and congratulations with each winner announced. We are excited to see what each of them will achieve with their new funding and to follow their continued journeys in building successful companies.