Bladen County educator Dr. Jennifer Smith is among 18 entrepreneurs selected for the inaugural statewide Small Business Center Network Startup Showdown.
Smith, who is a client of Bladen Community College’s Small Business Center, plans to open a childcare center in Clarkton, according to SBC director Terri Dennison.
In order to qualify for the Startup Showdown, aspiring entrepreneurs submitted an application and video, then met for counseling at the local level. Smith was among two candidates from the Sandhills region that were selected.
The SBCN Startup Showdown is the first statewide entrepreneurship initiative of its kind launched through North Carolina’s 58 community college Small Business Centers.
Led through the North Carolina Small Business Center Network, the program was designed to identify, support, and elevate emerging business talent from across North Carolina through a structured process of local engagement, regional review, and statewide selection.
The inaugural competition generated strong participation statewide, drawing 316 applicants from across North Carolina and resulting in more than 1,050 hours of pre-application business counseling and technical support delivered through local Small Business Centers. Entrepreneurs worked closely with counselors and directors to strengthen business concepts, prepare submissions, and move through multiple stages of review.
The selected entrepreneurs represent colleges and communities from every region of North Carolina and will now move into the next phase of the program, including business launch training, advanced pitch coaching, and preparation ahead of the formal statewide awards event scheduled for September 17, when final winners will be announced and $60,000 in unrestricted startup funding will be awarded.
“What makes this program especially meaningful is the level of support happening across the Small Business Center Network,” said Anne Shaw, state director of the Small Business Center Network. “Directors and counselors across North Carolina invested significant time helping applicants strengthen ideas, prepare materials, and move confidently through each stage of this process. That statewide commitment is what made this regional selection process so strong and sets the stage for an exceptional statewide competition ahead.”
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