Mid City Times

On May 11, 2024, eight businesses presented their final pitches to a panel of judges at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth as part of the annual Fort Worth Business Plan Competition. Three of these businesses were awarded cash prizes.

The competition is an event that honors the city's entrepreneurs and small businesses for their significant contributions to the city's character and identity. The process involves twenty businesses undergoing six weeks of business development training and coaching before applying those skills to their own written plans. After evaluation, the top eight businesses present a three-minute pitch to the judges, followed by a two-minute Q&A session.

This year, Megan Jackson and Tneisha Brown from RIPE Publishing House won the grand prize of $10,000 in cash. Their company focuses on serving authors and the community more effectively and equitably, including through impactful youth programming. RIPE Publishing House also won the Perfect Pitch Prize audience popular vote, receiving a $500 credit for custom merchandise for their business courtesy of sponsor Printed Threads.

Shawna Murphy from StyleSmart VA was awarded second prize - a check for $6,000. StyleSmart VA is a client of TechFW that pairs beauty industry professionals with highly trained virtual assistants who provide administrative support.

Dee Henry from Champion Strength & Conditioning received third prize - a check for $4,000. The boutique personal training studio offers tailored fitness programs aimed at improving clients' health, wellness, and performance.

The cohort for this year's Fort Worth Business Plan Competition included businesses from nine out of ten council districts in Fort Worth. Councilmembers Michael Crain, Jeanette Martinez, and Christopher Nettles attended in support of the presenting businesses while Mayor Mattie Parker greeted attendees with a welcome message.

Lauren Kutschke from Salted Pages served as emcee for the evening. Shalonda Burnside from Lil Pop Gourmet Popcorn introduced her; both are previous grand prize winners of the competition.

The City of Fort Worth's Economic Development Department organized the competition, with Frost Bank as the sponsor. Several supporting partners, including TechFW, HSC Next, SCORE Fort Worth, Tarrant County Small Business Development Center, Accelerate Fort Worth Foundation, and Foundations EDC provided coaching and mentorship to the participating businesses.

Other businesses that pitched during the finale included Tneisha Brown and Megan Jackson from RIPE Publishing House, Dee Henry from Champion Strength & Conditioning, and Shawna Murphy from StyleSmart VA. They were joined by Robert Sturns, City of Fort Worth economic development director, and Hadley Woerner, regional president of Frost Bank.