EnterpriseU 2016 Finalists Announced
KANKAKEE, IL – April 11, 2016 – After review and scoring by Round 1 judges, including one finance professional, seven EnterpriseU 2016 business plans have been selected for final judging. Those with scores sufficient to advance to Round 2 oral presentations are:
Campus Voting Application, a social media platform for iPhone and Android
Crew Films, a full-service video production company
Friction Floors LLC, a prover of commercial floor safety testing, products and services
Gracie Pie Apothecary, handmade, all-natural bath and body products
The Neighborhood Kitchen LLC, a pop-up American-style food vendor
Person-Ali Designed, a full-service branding, design and marketing firm
Radulovic Enterprises LLC/Wellistics, an infrared sauna studio
Competition finals will be held at the Kankakee Public Library 4th Floor Auditorium beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Winners will be announced at the close of competition that evening, at approximately 8:00 p.m. The event is open to the public.
A total of 13 aspiring and expanding small business owners entered the 2016 edition of Kankakee County’s EnterpriseU Entrepreneurs Boot Camp & Business Plan Competition in February. Core activities of the program are business plan mentoring, a small business coursework series crafted by the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Kankakee Community College, networking events with local entrepreneurs and business leaders, along with a formal business plan competition and prize package eligibility.
EnterpriseU, now in its fifth year, has helped to launch a number of recognizable local startups, including Crème of the Crop Catering & Food Truck, BC Systems Wastewater Treatment, Geek Speak, Arseneau Media, Carlile Architects, The Pie Ladye, Align Yoga & Healing Arts, Your Party Studio, Sneak A Peek Productions and Spice Done Right. Contestants each year vie for three prize packages that include startup capital, rent-free office/storefront space, and a suite of business and professional services.
Contestants are not limited by geography, but winners must agree to site their businesses within Kankakee County. Qualifying businesses are startups that have been registered for one year or less.
EnterpriseU 2016 is led by the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce, with the support of the following program sponsors: Illinois Small Business Development Center at Kankakee Community College, the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley, The Daily Journal, Catalyst Innovation Center, Buck Tamblyn Property Management, HomeStar Bank, Peoples Bank, Centrue Bank, Midland States Bank, Momentum Momence, LinkPoint Media, Premium Specialties, Wayba Productions, Ravenspring Creative, Geek Speak, Little Caesars Pizza, Biggby Coffee and Kankakee Public Library.
The Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit incorporated group serving the Aroma Park, Bourbonnais, Bradley and Kankakee areas .The KCCC unites businesses small and large, creating a central agency to improve prosperity and build a better community through networking, cooperative marketing and legislative advocacy. Visit the KCCC at 200 E. Court St., Suite 710, Kankakee, IL 60901, online at kankakeecountychamber.com. Phone 815.351.9068. Email info@kankakeecountychamber.com.