Businesses take part in virtual pitch competition

The Small Business Development Center at Nicholls State University and Chevron partnered to create a virtual pitch competition to help with COVID-19 recovery in Lafourche, St. Mary, Assumption and Terrebonne parishes. As part of the competition, each small business submitted a statement on how COVID-19 has affected them and how the funds will be utilized if selected as a winner. The SBDC has now awarded eight Bayou Region small businesses $5,000 each to go toward recovery efforts.
Winners included Big Mike’s BBQ, Conner’s Repair Service, Country Kids Learning Academy, The Cove, Dat Sauce, Root2Rise, White Car and Workout360.
Country Kids Learning Academy owners Bonnie and Casey Soulet said that the pandemic caused renovations to their facility to fall five weeks behind schedule.
“It means a lot to us that our company was a winner in the competition because it will directly benefit the stu-dents of Country Kids Learning Academy by funding a mobile computer lab and learning tablets. It will also fund activities for students to explore and experiment with force and motion, magnetism, engineering, roller-coasters, ramps, chain reactions and more,” said Bonnie Soulet.
“We look forward to providing these valuable opportunities for our students. This says a lot about our company and the fact that people believe in our business idea, our determination and our knowledge in the childcare and early childhood education industry.”