Winners received cash prizes and the public voted for the People’s Choice award during the online event
LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation celebrated Women’s History Month by honoring three local women leaders and hosting a women-owned business competition for startups and small businesses.
VSEDC honored three locals Los Angeles leaders—Tunua Thrash, Senior Executive Director of LISC-LA, Adriana Cortesco-owner of Delicious Southern Cuisine and Delicious at The Dunbar, and Dr. Kay RamseyDeputy Director of Five Keys Schools and Programs.
Chosen from 50 applicants, six finalists pitched their business to a panel of judges and an audience of lenders and other small businesses. Finalists were rated by traditional and non-traditional lenders, including representatives from Wells Fargo, Citibank, Union Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Comerica, Silicon Valley Bank, LISC-LA, Clearinghouse and South Los Angeles BusinessSource (CDFI).
The first, second and third place winners received $1,500, $1,000 and $500, respectively. The winner of the public prize also left with another $500.
Among start-ups, Lura Ballrepresenting Lura’s Kitchen, with a range of gourmet 3-ingredient cookie mixes, won first prize. Kelsey Searles of MiliMili, a lifestyle brand of childcare products, won second prize, and Tiffany Lauderdale from LipzTalk, an all-natural beauty empowerment company, came third.
Among the small companies, the first prize and the public prize went to Christian Karneisha who launched Puckerup Lemonade, a family recipe that aspires to be the Starbucks of lemonade. The second prize went to Melissa Tong, whose company, DuckPunk Productions, builds brands through storytelling. Structural engineer, Hispalis “Polly” Blanco, came in third with her construction company, Castor Blanco Construction.
Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC) is a non-profit community development and financial institution (CDFI) recognized for decades of technical and entrepreneurial assistance to small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs in South Los Angeles. The service provided by VSEDC serves to stimulate community self-sufficiency, facilitate business growth, access to affordable housing, goods and services, and job creation. VSEDC achieves this through youth education and entrepreneurship projects, CDFI programs, and fundraising efforts. To learn more about the VSEDC, visit www.vsedc.org.
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SOURCE Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation
