Camden, NJ- In a special presentation during LAEDA’s Annual graduation, the winners of the fifth LAEDA-Citizens Bank Small Business Pitch Competition were announced. The competition, open to LAEDA alumni as well as recent graduates, gave prizes totaling $10,000 to individuals who successfully completed either the Entrepreneurial Development Training Program (EDTP) or Women’s Business Academy (WBA). Two (2) prizes were awarded to past EDTP/ WBA alumni and one (1) prize was awarded to a recent participant of the nine-week program.

The competition consisted of two rounds where round one consisted of making a compelling case on how the prize money will help the business get to the next level. There were over twenty-seven (27) applicants who jumped at the chance to advance to round two and get one step closer to receiving money for their business. In a grueling process, twelve (12) business owners were selected to move to round two. During round two, entrepreneurs not only received training on advanced business topics but also had the opportunity to pitch their business to representatives from Citizens Bank.

The competition finalists represented a wide range of industries ranging from an adult event space & lounge to an array of vision boards. Finalists included Sadiyyah Maamoon-Means (The Cultural Collective and BrickNKulture), Kashana Waples (Juice Capitol), Alyce Johnson (AJ Designs & Consulting), Shakira Sampson (Delicate Homecare Agency), Lidia Trinida (Lupita’s Restaurant & Pizzeria), Naeemah Hickson (Bringing Happy 2 Your Hour), Evonni Perry (Ruby Raw Experience), Salina Singleton (Ready Set Comedy LLC – Camden Comedy Collective), Laquira Whichard (Quticles by Quira), Dan Ninerell (Modern Classical Chefs), Charles Curtis III (Unbroken Minds), and Taina Rodriguez (Alter Ego with Tai).

Due to great pitches and innovative ways to spend the prize money, these finalists made it very difficult for the judges to determine a winner in each category. Citizens judges Arturo Robledo, Manny Bermudez, and Dragana Jovanovic soon chose winners to be announced in a special presentation at LAEDA’s Alumni Networking Event. During the presentation, Steven Gomez, Community Development Market Manager stated, “Congratulations to all the finalists… I must say in five years of working with LAEDA to host this pitch competition, this was the one time I was okay with not being a judge. You all did such a remarkable job on the pitches which made the selection process difficult! ” 

After much anticipation, the winners of the competition were announced:

• First place went to Sadiyyah Maamoon-Means  of The Cultural Collective and BrickNKulture)
• Second place went to Naeemah Hickson of Bringing Happy 2 Your Hour
• Third place went to our most recent alumnus Dan Ninerell of Modern Classical Chefs

LAEDA’s Board Chair Jose Mercado also had an encouraging word for the alumni. “I fully support LAEDA’s mission and love the moments when  I get to see the outcome of the work the staff puts in. This moment is truly a testament to the work that LAEDA does! 

LAEDA would like to thank not only the participants but also Citizen Bank representatives including the judges and business coaches. For more information and to learn about other opportunities for small businesses, 

If you are interested in learning more about our programs and joining our community  of entrepreneurs, visit our website at LAEDA.com or follow us on all social media platforms @LAEDA1987