Press Release
The second annual Emery County Youth Entrepreneur Business Pitch Challenge (AKA Shark Tank) was held on Wednesday, July 13, and featured 10 businesses from local youth. In total, $5,000 was given away to these businesses. The judges and program organizers emphasized their excitement for the possibilities of not only the businesses presented, but the potential of these youth as well.
The goal of this program is to encourage local youth to look around and find needs and gaps in our local community and fill those gaps with their own business. They are taught how to start their business, given opportunities at local vendor events and have the chance to win seed money from this Shark Tank style challenge.
Throughout the program, youth are taught about business financials, cost structure, how to find a business idea, customer service, branding, graphic design, marketing/advertising, booth specific training, online marketing and more.
Those awarded funds will work with the program organizers, Ethan Migliori and Amanda Leonard, as well as Emery County Business Chamber Executive Director Patsy Stoddard to redeem their seed money for the products and expenses they pitched to the judges. The youth received invaluable feedback and advice from the panel of professionals that served as judges. This year, they were Tim Frame, Jade Powell, Andy Urbanik, Adriana Chimaras and Ryan Murray. Their expertise and participation is what made this evening such a success.
Businesses awarded seed money were:
EM Lawn Care, A-B’s Crafts, Cool Cakes and Crafts, Freckled Freshies, MM Babysitters, Rebecca’s Baked Goods, Grace’s Pet Sitting, Aspen Grove Woodworking, The Sunshine Glass and DizMo. The funds will be used for inventory for their products, trainings, hardware, infrastructure, etc.
We need to thank Emery County for its donation and support as well as the Emery County Business Chamber and the Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG). Their funding and partnerships made this program and this night possible.