JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Northeast Florida entrepreneurs waged campaigns to win a pitch contest at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Tuesday night.
Three winners took home capital for their business ventures, and each finalist earned a spot in the Jax Bridges Marketing Model Program, which is designed to teach skills over a seven-week period and begins next month.
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The goal of the contest was to help local entrepreneurs hone their pitching skills.
Amelia Toffee won first prize for the “not your grandma’s toffee” treats that owner Anita Comisky said elevates her grandmothers’ original toffee recipe.
Emerging from the explosion of craft breweries and distilleries, alongside popular gourmet coffee and tea blends, Comisky provides innovative flavors, including coffee toffee, bourbon toffee, and on tap toffee.
Amelia Toffee also offers “Ghost of Amelia,” just in time for Halloween. The company works with local craft breweries and distilleries to create small business synergy, and a uniquely regional concoction.
WEBSITE: Amelia Toffee Co.
Florida Training Academy won second place, and a prize of $750. Creator Eunice Mathis boasts “a full service workplace emergency and safety training company,” which focuses on helping minimum wage earners increase their paychecks by 50 to 100 percent with certification programs.
WEBSITE: Florida Training Academy
Harvest Seed Consulting took third place, and $500.
Thirty-two local small businesses owners competed with a 90-second pitch last week, in order to earn finalist status and participate in Tuesday’s 6 minute, 40 second event.
Channel 4’s Kent Justice joined Bill Pray, SCORE mentor, and Bob Hawkinson, Weed Recede new product developer, as judges for the final.