The finalists have been announced for the 2014
GreenLight Flint business model competition, which encourages innovative startups in the city of Flint.
GreenLight Flint is coordinated and sponsored by Spartan Innovations, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Flint Area Reinvestment Office and the eTEAM.
Ten finalists were chosen from 49 business plans submitted in the fall of 2014 to the competition. They were: Swiftlet Technology by Dan Kurin; SS Equestrian Center, by Samantha Jo Stechschulte; CareCow by James Cowan; Green Couch Games by Jason Kotarski; Fathom by Matt Gira; Beltex mobile app by Linda Bell Kachelski; Greecharge by Robert Connolly; Wraps N' Rolls Food Truck by Chris Strimatter; Grocery Pal Convenient Grocery Delivery by John Casci; and Michigan Internet Exchange (MIX) by Eric Knific.
Three top prizes--$5,000, $3,000, and $1,500--were then chosen, as well as a crowd favorite winning $500, in late January. In first place was Samantha Jo Stechschulte with her SS Equestrian Center. Wraps N' Rolls Food Truck took second, while CareCow was third, and Swiftlet Technology was named crowd favorite.
The winners pitched their business plans to a panel of judges in front of a live audience. The prize money is to go toward starting business ventures in the Flint area.
SS Equestrian Center will now go on to compete in the statewide GreenLight Michigan event, which will be held March 31 in East Lansing, and has a top prize of $25,000 in startup money.
Writer: Kim Eggleston
Source: Flint Area Reinvestment Office
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.