CHESTERTOWN — On April 9, the Upper Shore Regional Council, along with Startup Maryland, the Washington College, and Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), held the 2024 Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow to kick off the Pitch Across Maryland tour.
Michael Binko, founder and managing partner of STRT1UP Ventures, said, “The STRT1UP Roadshow is a celebration during which we criss-cross Maryland for nine months to put the mic in the hands of founders (entrepreneurs) for a video pitch on the tour bus.”
The event was held at the college and hosted selected applicants from Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties, each with innovative business ideas.
Regional entrepreneurs were invited to compete for $4,000.
The first place winner this year taking home that was, The Naked Embrace, based in Cecil County, a company which provides, “sustainable, all-natural and healthy products for people and their homes.”
The runner-up was, Beyond Words Tutoring, located in Queen Anne’s, and through cutting-edge educational services is a “children’s education advocate, ensuring the needs that young learners are recognized and met with appropriate accommodations and resources.”
They won $1,500.
As Binko pointed out, the entrepreneurs made 5-minute pitches for their businesses. They were judged on clarity of idea and solution, the viability of their business idea, how well the identified problem or opportunity is addressed by their plan, the impact -either socially or the community and on innovation.
Kent County Director of Economic Development and Tourism Jamie Williams was an exhibitor and presented the event results.
Out of 15 applications this year, 10 were selected to pitch and eight pitched. Four were from Kent County, and two were chosen to pitch, Williams said.
This event is important not just to the businesses involved, trying to gain extra funds for their startups and small businesses, but for those who work closely with the businesses to help them find resources.
Like Williams and her staff.
Economic development teams in Kent, Queen Anne’s and Cecil displayed how closely they work together. This project was just one of the examples of that.
Susan O’Neill, the executive director of USRC sees that partnership as vital for these rural areas.
“We were proud to be a sponsor of the Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow event this year. It was wonderful to see the Economic Development Offices in Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s team up for this event to inspire growth in the Upper Shore region of Maryland for years to come.”
This is their first stop on the tour.
The event is being marketed in all three communities of Washington College, Cecil Community College and Chesapeake College.
Department Chair and Associate Professor of Business Management at Washington College {span}Caddie Putnam Rankin {/span}added, “We were thrilled to host the first stop of the annual tour to support the ideas, goals, and objectives of local emerging businesses.”
Along with the business pitch portion, the event featured two panel discussions.
“Where Are They Now,” with Binko moderating and Scott Budden owner and founder of Orchard Point Oysters and Tyler Abbott, entrepreneur and director of Land and Materials Administration, MDE, as the panel.
And “Bootstrapping Your Business,” with Karen Zuccardi, manager of the Rural Business innovation Initiative TEDCO, as the moderator.
The event provided ample opportunity for entrepreneurs to network with business resource partners while sharing ideas.
To learn more about the USRC and other projects, visit https://usrcmd.org/.
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