Husband and wife duo Michael and Shalonda Burnside say they opened Lil Pop Gourmet Popcorn to teach their daughters about entrepreneurship. Shalonda Burnside
As a new mom, Shalonda Burnside struggled to re-enter the workforce. Burnside worked as a Project Really like coordinator and a Residence Depot advertising and marketing coordinator just before teaching and then obtaining two daughters. But she normally knew she wanted to turn out to be an entrepreneur.
With the support of her husband, Michael, who performs in finance in Fort Worth, the Burnsides started to consider outdoors the box and decided to begin a organization primarily based on a shared passion.
“We began Lil Pop simply because of our family’s appreciate of popcorn and our want to teach our two daughters about entrepreneurship,” Burnside mentioned. “We knew this would be the ideal chance to apply our experiences in the corporate globe and begin a gourmet popcorn enterprise.”
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Husband and wife duo Michael and Shalonda Burnside say they opened Lil Pop Gourmet Popcorn to teach their daughters about entrepreneurship. Shalonda Burnside
Lil Pop Gourmet Popcorn specializes in handmade popcorn with a signature line that incorporates birthday cake, cinnamon churro and cookies and cream flavors. Buyers can also develop their personal popcorn by deciding upon a base and topping.
Neighborhood clients can order on-line and get their popcorn inside two days, and the enterprise not too long ago started shipping across the US. The Burnsides also sell their treats at pop-ups in the Fort Worth location.
Now, the family members organization has won the city of Fort Worth’s annual organization strategy competitors. The enterprise received a grand prize of $ten,000 to assistance its organization ventures. It really is also the 1st time a black-owned enterprise has won in the competition’s 12-year history.
Via the competitors, 20 nearby tiny corporations completed six weeks of education and organization improvement education. The best eight finalists presented their organization idea to the jury and audience reside on Could 11 and submitted written plans for the judges to evaluate.
“Becoming in that atmosphere to share our ups, downs and dreams with the group was quite motivating and gave us confirmation that we had been on the correct track,” Burnside mentioned. “Winning the competitors gave us the chance to invest sources in the enterprise earlier than we anticipated.” We saw an quick raise in interest in our enterprise which resulted in extra sales.”
Lil Pop Gourmet Popcorn specializes in handmade popcorn with a signature line that incorporates birthday cake, cinnamon churro and cookies and cream flavors. Shalonda Burnside
Shalond’s part as CEO and founder of the enterprise provides her the chance to balance becoming a remain-at-property mom and constructing a organization. Meanwhile, husband Michael balances his complete-time job in finance when serving as the company’s chief economic officer.
“Our plans are to develop the enterprise huge sufficient for each of us to operate in the organization complete-time more than the subsequent 5 years,” Burnside mentioned.
Saria Hawkins represents Manifest Your Objective, a stationery enterprise targeting black ladies. Rachel DeLira Fort Worth Division of Financial Improvement
The $six,000 runner-up prize went to Manifest Your Objective, a luxury stationery and stationery organization run by Saria Hawkins. Developing up, Hawkins saw the lack of representation of black ladies in the stationary business and wanted to develop stationary solutions that reflected her culture and likeness.
Manifest Your Objective specializes in luxury stationary that represents black ladies. Whitney Blocker Whitney B Jordan
Hawkins sells his solutions on his web-site and on Amazon, and attends a number of vendor events each and every year. Hawkins saw a 275% raise in income in the 1st year of operating her organization. She has delivered extra than three,700 stationary orders to ladies about the globe, and in some cases completes 200 orders a month.
Brian Frank’s Organization Knarly Vance Wins Third Spot in Fort Worth’s 2023 Organization Strategy Competitors Rachel DeLira Fort Worth Division of Financial Improvement
Knarly Vance, a enterprise that equips passenger vans, won the third spot prize of $four,000. Organization owner Brian Frank mentioned his company’s gear is ADA compliant and assists fill gaps in passenger van floors when the seats are raised for wheelchairs. The enterprise also sells insulated window coverings and other solutions.
The organization has been sold in 11 nations, which includes a number of in Europe exactly where van living is well known. The enterprise generated $30,000 in income and expects to create $200,000 subsequent year if the organization stays on track.
Right after each and every of the eight finalists presented their pitch, the audience had the chance to vote for their favorites.
Michelle Holloway presents her organization, Life-style Transitions, which won the crowd vote. Rachel DeLira Fort Worth Division of Financial Improvement
Life-style Transitions owner Michelle Holloway won the vote. Holloway performs property inspections for seniors and tends to make suggestions to stop falls and raise security. Holloway is an occupational therapist on track to receive a post-experienced doctoral degree. A 60-minute session charges $290, and solutions are covered by insurance coverage.
Amongst the remaining finalists was the homemade candy enterprise Hallelujah! Brittles and Sweets, mental wellness agency Honeybee Wellness & Consulting, plant-primarily based meals distributor Pure Vegan Pantry and self-publishing residence RIPE Publishing Residence.
Seventeen of the 20 corporations participating in the 2023 competitors had been minority- or ladies-owned corporations, the most diverse Fort Worth organization strategy competitors to date. This was also the 1st time that the competitors integrated representatives from the seven city council districts.
“It really is thrilling to see the Fort Worth Organization Strategy Competitors attract a pool of competitors that holistically reflects our city’s organization neighborhood,” mentioned Andrea Duffy, communications specialist for the city’s financial improvement division. “That is specifically accurate for minority- and ladies-owned corporations, which have historically struggled to access these kinds of sources and coaching when it comes to developing and scaling their organizations.”
Judges and audience members watched eight tiny corporations pitch their organization ideas Could 11 in the city’s annual organization strategy competitors. Rachel DeLira Fort Worth Division of Financial Improvement
To qualify for the competitors, corporations had to be two to 5 years old with annual income of much less than $500,000. All corporations had to be situated in Fort Worth.
The City of Fort Worth Financial Improvement Division hosted the contest sponsored by Frost Bank. Help partners TechFV, HSC Innovates, Tarrant County Little Organization Improvement Center, SCORE Fort Worth, North Texas Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Coaching, and the AccelerateDFV Foundation contributed mentoring and coaching.