The Recorder – Take the Floor competition returns for the third time

GREENFIELD – The Floor Pitch event is the third this month to give local entrepreneurs the chance to receive free coaching and support, and a $3,000 chance to grow their business.

Greenfield Community Innovation & Entrepreneurship Director Max Fripp said: “When we say we welcome everyone, we really mean it.”

The first of the three pitch competitions is scheduled for January 19th at Greenspace CoWork in Greenfield. Two additional dates are planned for March 23 at Orange LaunchSpace and May 18 at Greenspace CoWork. At each pitch, the entrepreneur presents her idea of ​​her business to a panel of judges in her five minutes.

A total of nine finalists from these events will be invited to the final pitch on June 29th at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, where three $3,000 prizes will be awarded.

The competition is intended to help early-stage entrepreneurs and is limited to companies less than two years old and less than $50,000 in net income. Registration is now open and interested entrepreneurs can sign up on his GCC Community Engagement website.

“Our goal is to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses here in Franklin County,” Fripp said. “We hope that with Take the Floor, we will be able to gradually increase the number of donors and investors contributing to the pool (of investment capital), giving us more funds to fund entrepreneurs.”

Last year, three local entrepreneurs, Kelly Suprenant of The Rainbow Rack, Jason Garcia of Distance Detailing, and Kirsten Levitt of Stone Soup Culinary Institute, split the $10,000 prize.

Fripp said the main difference this year is that the organizers have moved on from past years’ “Social Entrepreneurs” track and instead added a “Food, Beverage and Agro Entrepreneurs” track.

“Food, drink and agriculture are big economic drivers for our rural economy, so we wanted to respect that,” Fripp explained. “We know that the nonprofit sector in Franklin County is also an important sector, but Take the Floor is becoming increasingly important for new businesses that employ people who provide opportunities for economic development.”

In addition to Franklin First Credit Union, GCC also partners with Orange’s LaunchSpace and Franklin County Community Development Corporation to provide competitors with free business development workshops, coaching, and consulting.

“We are excited to offer this exciting opportunity to local entrepreneurs and help them become woven into the fabric of Franklin County’s business community,” said GCC President Michelle Schutt. “And it’s even more exciting that he’s working with partners such as Franklin First Credit Union, LaunchSpace, Franklin County His Community and He Development Corporation to provide this.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.