The Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union has announced the small businesses moving forward as finalists in each of the credit union’s regional Idea Leap Grant competitions.
As finalists, these entrepreneurs will each participate in their regional pitch competition as they strive to win a grant to support and expand their small business.
The finalists are:
Chattanooga Region
- Bird Fork Farm
- Cha Cha Masala Chai
- Jordan Ariel Agency (People’s Choice Winner)
- Scenic City Therapy
- Tiny Tigers Learning Center
Ocoee Region
- Bigfoot Outfitters
- Flory Custom Woodworking
- Frazier’s Fabrication
- Theme Fusion
- Visionary Motorsports & Fabrication (People’s Choice Winner)
Northwest Georgia Region
- Bobbi Jo Brooks Fine Art & Photography
- Gowin Valley Farms (People’s Choice Winner)
- Red Eyed Rooster Coffee Co.
- Rosie Mae’s Alpaca Farm
- Top End Fabrication
The three pitch competitions will take place during National Small Business Week, held the first full week of May. Finalists from each region will present their small business expansion plans, competing for grant funding. In each competition, the first-place winner will receive $30,000, the second-place winner will be awarded $15,000, and three runners-up will each receive $10,000.
This year, the Northwest Georgia and Ocoee regional competitions will be televised, while the Chattanooga competition will be held in person and open to the public. Anyone in the community can RSVP to the Chambliss Startup Social and Chattanooga Pitch Competition at tvfcu.com/idealeap.
“We’re very proud of these local small business owners who have advanced to the Idea Leap Grant finals,” said Tommy Nix, vice president of business and commercial services. “We’d like to invite people from across Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia to either tune in or come out to watch these incredible entrepreneurs discuss their small businesses, their plans for the future and the many ways in which they support their local communities.”
This year more than 375 local businesses applied for the Eighth Annual Idea Leap Grant. TVFCU, leaning on the expertise of area business leaders serving as volunteer judges, reduced this group to quarterfinalists who each submitted videos showcasing their business.
Based on the video submissions, semifinalists were selected in each competition and were asked to provide the judges with a tour of their business. After these site visits, TVFCU hosted a voting period open to the public that selected one People’s Choice Finalist by popular vote in each region. The other finalists were selected by each regional panel of judges.
The Idea Leap Grant is an extension of the credit union’s Idea Leap Loan Initiative that was created specifically for small businesses in 2016. To date, TVFCU has funded approximately $6 million in loans to emerging and early-stage businesses through the loan initiative and has awarded $720,500 in Idea Leap grants and related scholarships.
For more information about the Idea Leap Grant, please visit tvfcu.com/IdeaLeap and follow TVFCU on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.