UPDATE ON 12/11/2014: Winners announced here.
One lucky Bad Girl is going to receive an early Christmas present
Wednesday evening in Covington.
For nine weeks, 43 entrepreneurs at
Bad Girl Ventures have been hunkering down over the details of business development, poring over material on marketing, finances, legal concerns and everything in between. Refreshed by cocktails and small apps, all members of the Fall class will receive graduation certificates and recognition for their talents Wednesday, and one will be recognized for their hard work with a $25,000 investment from BGV itself.
The holiday graduation ceremony, which is open to the public for $25 per ticket, will take place at
The Madison Event Center in Covington. With 250-300 people expecting to attend, this season's group of Bad Girls will have numerous opportunities to network with the kinds of people who can help them get their businesses off the ground.
The event will also feature booths for each of the businesses. Attendees can stop by and meet each of the business owners from the current BGV class as well as past graduates from the program.
"We call it 'holiday shopping with the Bad Girls,' " BGV Executive Director Corey Drushal says.
Since Bad Girl Ventures isn't industry-specific, the group of female-owned companies is extremely diverse. The 10 finalists in the running for the $25,000 prize are listed below:
Poppy (Kimberley Barach)
A premium rental service company for baby products that eliminates the need for buying expensive products at every stage of a child's growth.
All Care Navigators (Barbara Gunn and David Gunn)
Provides experience and guidance to those seeking senior care services.
Babushka Pierogies (Sarah Dworak)
Handmade pierogies to be sold wholesale.
Chaddeze LLC (Mary Fennel)
A boy's underwear company known for its use of a front flap.
Tactical Intelligence Group LLC (Davina Eccard and Ryan Sullivan)
Offers self-defense courses, both armed and unarmed.
Norton Flooring (Erica Norton)
One of the few female-driven flooring companies, with decades of expertise.
One Fine Day (Lindsey Lescoe)
A specialty rental boutique for wedding planners.
Get Creative Photo Booths (Julie Ball)
An experienced photographer offers fun custom photo booths for weddings and other events.
Love Bite (Aris Yowell and Morgan Hamilton)
Brings together everything you need to throw a killer dinner party.
For the finalists who don't receive the $25,000 prize, BGV provides seemingly endless support in helping find a source of funding. As an official endorser for Kiva Zip, a domestic crowdfunding site that offers up to $10,000 in zero-interest loans, BGV has the power to connect their companies to favorable investment sources. BGV also boasts connections with
US Bank, Park National Bank and
Emery Federal Credit Union.
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