Celebrating Local Entrepreneurs

And the winner is...

My Three Chambered Heart

Jake Pugh, Louisa County

The third annual QuadTank Pitch Competition had 16 submissions who competed in a preliminary round to determine the 4 finalists that would present their pitches for the 5 judges at the QuadCounty Business Summit.

Jake Pugh from My Three Chambered Heart (along with his trusted python and family), was awarded the $8,000 prize.

"As you might imagine it is not unusual for the reptile people to feel out of place, but we were welcomed and encouraged the entire time... Being at the actual competition and hearing so many stories was particularly uplifting for me... We will now be able to make massive strides towards some of our museum exhibit fabrications, all of which require customization. The opportunity afforded to us by the SBDC has been multilayered, including networking and exposure, fresh ideas and perspectives, and now financial. Having been "that snake guy" for my entire life I have become accustomed to being kept to the side. More than anything else my family and I have been surprised by the support and encouragement we have received, and the SBDC provided the literal and figurative stage for that."

- Jake Pugh

Photo by BC Photography

ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT

READ MORE ABOUT DELANY PRODUCTS

Supply Chain and the Holiday Season

Have you noticed the shelves are more empty than usual at the grocery store? Moving into the holiday season, groceries won't be the only products suffering from supply chain shortages.

Your SBDC team encourages you to #ShopSooner to help local small businesses navigate supply chain issues during the holiday season. You'll know that you have all of your holiday needs met and your favorite local business will be able to better serve the community.

ARPA Grants for Child Care Providers

Child care providers, community partners and early childhood stakeholders are invited to join a briefing to learn about the upcoming application process for accessing federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to stabilize child care programs:

Thursday, October 28, 12:00-1:30 pm – In English

Friday, October 29, 12:00-1:30 pm – En Español

Each briefing will feature First Lady Pam Northam and VDOE representatives who will share important information to assist child care providers in learning about and accessing stabilization funds.

Please click HERE to register for Thursday's (English language) webinar and please click HERE to register for Friday's (Spanish language) webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Note, capacity is limited; only the first 1,000 attendees to join the session will be able to participate. The session will be recorded, and the recording will be made available widely.

Website Jump Start

Lytos Tech addresses the key concerns of growers, producers, and consumers in terms of providing high-quality products, reducing environmental impact and risks to human health, and contributing to organic, sustainable agricultural practices.

Lytos was able to work with one of the skilled SBDC web developers who has experience in agriculture and farming, allowing maximum efficiency in creating the website.

To increase visibility and better serve current and future customers, Lytos applied for the CV SBDC website Jump Start program.