By Anthony Gorges
JC Post
A pitch challenge for veterans called “Vet Epic” was held Thursday night in Junction City, hosted by the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce. All three divisions of the Chamber were involved; Economic Development, the Military Affairs Council, and the Membership Division.
Mickey Fornaro-Dean, the President of Operations for the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Director explained that the vision for this competition was to help the veterans and entrepreneurs who have ideas but don’t know exactly what to do with the idea. “The genesis of this idea is to support veterans and also entrepreneur-ism and new businesses in the Junction City area,” Fornaro-Dean said.
The Veteran Entrepreneur Pitch challenge consisted of four “classes” that focused on introduction to business, marketing, financing, and pitch preparation. The pitch part of the competition was held at JC Naz in Junction City, on Thursday, May 8, and 10 entrepreneurs pitched their business to a panel of four judges. The contestants were competing for up to $10,000 in prize money. ($5,000 to first place, $3,000 to second place, and $2,000 to third place). Participants had three minutes to pitch their business to the judges, and then the judges had two minutes for questions.
The first-place winner of the first Vet Epic Pitch challenge is Megan and Ryan Woods, with Blue Bird Speech Therapy. They received $5,000 to put toward their new business. Megan and Ryan are speech pathologists who plan to provide skilled and passionate speech therapy to the Junction City Community. Megan told the judges that over 1,000 individuals in Geary County need speech therapy. Megan Woods said that the $5,000 winnings will go toward purchasing apps for their non-speaking clients and software for electronic billing, insurance purposes, and more.
The second-place winner is Matta Aviation Services, owned and operated by Eduardo Matta Figueroa. Matta Aviation Services already operates in Junction City. Eduardo told the judges that they are an all-in-one aviation shop and experience. Matta teaches flight safety classes and certifications and also trains mechanics to work in his shop. He noted that Matta Aviation Services has had individuals from Dubai, Africa, Europe, and many other countries FAA-certified through them. With the $3,000 win from the competition, Eduardo plans to use it for marketing and advertising by getting his name and business out to the public.
The third-place winner is Midwest Coachworks, owned by Christopher Gaer. This business is 100% veteran-owned and operated and is currently expanding in Junction City. Gaer explained that the motto for his business is integrity, respect, and service. Midwest Coachworks is an auto-body repair and maintenance business. Currently, there are three technicians on staff, and the new facility they are expanding into will be a 2,400-square-foot facility. Gaer noted that the plan is to keep two locations open. With the $2,000 win for third place, Midwest Coachworks will use the money to get involved with the Fort Riley Career Skills Program for promotional items and marketing materials.
Other Contestants
Bella and Co on the Rocks – Paige Romaine
By Yuri’s Pizza – Yurii Zhupnyk
The Gentry Lounge – Marcus McCormick
Junction City Fireworks – Floyd Garcia and Ryan Woods
Little Apple Consignment – Jennifer Gold
Rocco’s Reliable Rides – Rich Gold
Southern Twist Shaved Ice – Ramon Donoho
Sponsors for the Veteran Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge were:
The Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation, Junction City First, Junction City Main Street, Network Kansas, and Kansas State University.
The Judges for the competition:
Bret Lanz - Commercialization Director - Technology Development Institute – Kansas State University
Trish Brasted – President – eGrowth Ventures – Network Kansas
Robert Murphy – Associate Director – LegalShield
Christian Panquerne, PMP – Retired Command Sergeant Major
Robert Wilson the Community Entrepreneurship Advisor for the Northeast Region eCommunity Partnership for Network Kansas was in attendance for the pitch challenge. Wilson said the competition provided veterans with a great opportunity to try and jump-start or move their business forward. “We are excited and appreciative of the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, the Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation, and other sponsors to support the veterans and active duty in launching their businesses.”
Network Kansas supports small businesses and entrepreneurs. For more information on Network Kansas, visit their website here.
The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce said the plan is to continue the “Vet Epic” entrepreneur pitch challenge going forward. Mickey Fornaro-Dean thanked the sponsors, judges, and contestants for participating in the competition.