Queen’s BBQ owners accept a check from M&T Bank and HU Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship officials. Photo courtesy of M&T Bank.
Three local businesses will get a boost in their entrepreneurial efforts.
The Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Innovation Lab just wrapped up, concluding with a pitch competition, which awarded cash prizes to small, minority-owned ventures.
The annual program, hosted by M&T Bank and Harrisburg University’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE), provided educational courses to participants over the past seven weeks.
The first-place winner of the pitch competition was Anya Lumpkin, founder of Queen’s BBQ and Southern Cuisine, who won $5,000. Queen’s previously operated a restaurant on N. 3rd St. in Midtown Harrisburg.
A second-place prize of $3,000 was awarded to Richard Bailey, owner of Bailey II Studios LLC. Amy Ellis, owner of Total Rehabilitation Systems, won the third-place prize of $2,000.
Throughout the duration of the program, participants received guidance in creating business plans, establishing credit, accessing capital, marketing, networking and more.
M&T Bank has hosted the innovation lab program since 2022, providing free resources and expertise to entrepreneurs.
Beyond the seven-week-long initiative, the CIE serves as a business incubator for startups year-round, offering 12- to 18-month-long programs, specifically focused on assisting minority- and women-owned businesses. In October, M&T Bank announced that it would support the CIE with $250,000 and a five-year commitment of support.
For more information on the multicultural small business lab, visit M&T Bank’s website. To find out more about HU’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, visit their website.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
