Eden Hall's 1st business pitch competition focuses on food, agriculture

Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus in Richland hosted its first-ever “pitch” competition, for people in the region who have ideas about new or emerging food and agricultural businesses.

The competition, sponsored by Chatham’s Center for Regional Agriculture, Food and Transformation, or CRAFT, was held April 2 in the Esther Barazzone Center.

“Local food businesses are at the center of what we do at CRAFT, as they contribute to our local food system and make our region more vibrant and sustainable,” said Nicolette Spudic, manager of Chatham’s Food Innovation Lab. “So we want to encourage new entrepreneurship in the food industry however we can. When we look inward and focus on the regional food economy, we see that we are not only getting high-quality food, we are putting money back into the pockets of our neighbors,” she said.

The competition is open to any business in the food industry, including consumer packaged goods, restaurants, food trucks, farms, breweries, wineries, distilleries, bakeries and coffee shops.

Participants were required to submit a 1-minute pitch video by Feb. 28 that was reviewed by judges to determine if they move onto the April 2 competition. Round 1 winners were notified by March 4.

Seven businesses pitched. First place winner was Carbon Compost, a residential composting company. There was a tie for second place — Crust Worthy, a bakery pitching a new co-op bakery business model; and Self-Reliant Setian, a vegan meat alternative.

Winners received cash prizes and a one-year membership to Chatham University’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship and a 30-hour consultation with the Innovation Lab.