Entrepreneurs get a boost from The Big Pitch: 2 start-ups split nearly $50K in prizes during REV Birmingham’s 6th annual ‘Shark Tank’-style contest

Economic growth and job creation in Birmingham are driven by “authentic, local businesses,” David Fleming, REV Birmingham president and CEO, said recently. And those businesses “make our city cool,” he said.

In November, REV Birmingham — along with sponsor PNC Bank — gave a boost to a few more cool local entrepreneurs by hosting The Big Pitch, a “Shark Tank”-style business plan competition, for the sixth year.

The Big Pitch was held in The Gallery at The Pizitz in downtown Birmingham on Nov. 23 in front of a panel of judges and about 150 audience members, according to a REV news release.

Two Birmingham start-ups — Elysian Gardens, a community sculpture park, and Encore Rouge, a food truck — recently split a total of nearly $50,000 in cash prizes and business services in the competition.

Elysian Gardens and Encore Rouge were among the five startups that made the finals.

Elysian Gardens won first place with a $30,000 cash prize, plus legal services from Gatehouse Law, advertising from Bham Now and accounting services from BMSS. The startup’s founders, William and Kelly Colburn of Iron Age Studio, plan to create the sculpture garden in Avondale and use art, music and food to connect neighbors.

The Colburns said Elysian Gardens is “a community center and sculpture garden/venue for live performances, educational workshops and all types of events with a bar and two low-cost restaurants on site,” according to the REV website.

The vision for Elysian Gardens “is a community-based venture [and] a gathering place that will bring together people of different ages, cultures and ideas,” William Colburn told Iron City Ink. “We will use art as the economic engine.”

William Colburn said they planned to use their winnings to create at least two 300-square-foot micro-restaurant spaces for new chefs. “These restaurants will give the neighborhood a new place, and good food and great choices bring them back to our concerts, theater, events and art pop-ups.”

Encore Rouge won second place with a $10,000 prize, as well as legal services from Gatehouse Law and advertising from Bham Now. Antoinne and Shantale Davis, operators of the Cajun-style food truck, also won the People’s Choice award, worth another $5,000 in cash. The owners want to eventually open a brick-and-mortar location for the eatery.

The operators of Encore Rouge described it as “a small family-owned business born and raised in the city of Birmingham with an American success story obtained through authenticity, passion and faith. Through hard work and sacrifice, we’ve been able to positively influence the culture within the city.”

They said they “believe passion should be experienced through food.”

The other finalists were Jennifer Ryan of The Blueroot Company, Adrian Ward of The Relaxation Room and Bonaventure Akinlosotu and Joseph Bradley of Sidekicks.

All of the finalists were paired with mentors and service providers to help them plan their pitches.

Each mentor either started, built or sold successful ventures of their own and coached their assigned Big Pitch finalist for six weeks leading up to the competition.

Finalists also attended REV’s three technical assistance workshops that covered telling a brand story, understanding commercial real estate and finding funding.

This year’s mentors were Zebbie Carney, Eugene’s Hot Chicken; Jacqueline Fazekas, Bama Health Foods; Will Haver, Taco Mama; Ann Trondson, Vinegar; and Danny Winter, Brennan’s Irish Pub.

Judges were Nick Willis, PNC Bank; Tene Dolphin, city of Birmingham; Mickey Millsap, Alabama Futures Fund; Kate Hardy, Square One Goods Co.; and Kim Carter Evans, TruFund.

For the first time in Big Pitch history, both a judge and a mentor are former Big Pitch finalists, according to REV. Zebbie Carney competed in 2015 and Kate Hardy in 2017.

In addition to offering capital to the top competitors, PNC employees provide coaching and other support for all finalists. Other sponsors included Poole & Company Architects. In addition to sponsors who provided services, Gatehouse Law, LiftFund, TruFund, Rebecca Dobrinski of TedxBirmingham and Bill Todd of o2 Ideas gave the entrepreneurs one-on-one consultations.

Since the first year of The Big Pitch, organizers have seen an increase in the number of successful brick-and-mortar shops, with previous Big Pitch winners having opened nearly 20 new retail locations, said Nick Willis, PNC regional president for Greater Alabama.

This trend “speaks to the competition’s ability to help local entrepreneurs create sustainable businesses within the city,” Willis said in a REV news release.

For more on The Big Pitch, visit bigpitchbham.com.