CLEVELAND, Sept. 7, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- KeyBank's (NYSE: KEY) Key4Women program and
SCORE Cleveland today announced 10 finalists have been selected to
compete in a business pitch contest for women-owned businesses
(WOBs) located in Northeast
Ohio.
Selected from a pool of 243 applicants and judged by a panel of
SCORE representatives, the finalists will compete in one of two
categories, start-up business or existing business, with cash
awards totaling $22,000. The grand
prize winner will earn $10,000.
Finalists include:
- RooSense (Start-Up)
- Dirty Laundry (Start-Up)
- Diva de la Crème (Start-Up)
- All Trades Tax Services (Start-Up)
- The DREMR Company (Start-Up)
- Emerald Direct Primary Care (Existing)
- Carmels Executive Car Service (Existing)
- Back Development (Existing)
- Roughin It (Existing)
- Active For Life (Existing)
"The SCORE Chapters of Northeast
Ohio are proud to be working with women-owned small
businesses across the region and are amazed by the quality and
strength of the applications we received," said Bob Cohen, Chairman, Cleveland Chapter, SCORE. "SCORE and Key4Women
share a common mission of helping small businesses get off the
ground, grow and achieve success through education and mentorship.
This contest offers two critical supports for participants:
mentorship and capital."
SCORE provided application support and mentorship to women-owned
businesses throughout the application process. SCORE will also
provide workshops and mentoring to the finalists to help them
prepare their pitches.
"SCORE is such a valuable partner," said Rachael Sampson, chair, Key4Women. "Women
business owners and leaders positively impact our economy and
communities in powerful ways every day, which is evident based on
the strength and diversity of the applications we received.
Key4Women and SCORE are committed and willing to help all those who
submitted applications, finalists or not, achieve their visions and
grow their businesses into thriving ventures."
To be eligible, businesses were required to be 51 percent owned,
controlled, operated and managed by a woman or women. They must
also be headquartered in Ashtabula, Carroll, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga,
Harrison, Holmes, Huron, Lake,
Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas or Wayne counties.
The finalists will present a 4-minute pitch and field questions
for 6 minutes on October 7 at
Cuyahoga Community College. The event,
which is not open to the public, will be livestreamed by
Cuyahoga Community College.
Final awards will be chosen by a panel of five judges, which
will include 3 local women business owners and two KeyBank bankers.
Criteria used to determine winners include the quality of the
presentation, clarity of business vision and mission, economic
impact of the idea and the soundness of value proposition.
ABOUT SCORE CLEVELAND
Since 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs to start
or grow a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free
mentoring, workshops and educational services to 1,500+ communities
nationwide, creating 45,027 new businesses and 74,535 non-owner
jobs in 2020 alone. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Follow
@SCOREMentors on Facebook, Instagram and
LinkedIn.
ABOUT KEY4WOMEN
Key4Women started in 2005 as a campaign to lend $1 billion to qualified women-owned businesses
within three years. The program achieved that in two years and has
now generated more than $12 billion
in loans to women-owned businesses. Membership in Key4Women is
free. In addition to helping women business leaders and owners tap
into capital to build and grow their businesses, Key4Women members
gain valuable access to a team of local Certified Key4Women Advisors who advocate, connect and
empower women on their journey to financial wellness. For more
information, visit key.com/key4women.
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SOURCE KeyCorp