PRESENTING SPONSORS
THE 2021-22 WOMEN IN BUSINESS SCALE UP! CHALLENGE
The Urban League of Louisiana is proud to announce the 2021-22 Women in Business Challenge: Scale Up! sponsored by Fidelity, Chevron and AARP Louisiana. The WIB Challenge provides female entrepreneurs with an opportunity to showcase what is needed to scale their businesses towards profitability and sustainability. During the event, program finalists will pitch their “Scale Up! Plan of Action” for a chance to win $10,000 in funding support.
The Women in Business Challenge will be held on Monday March 21, 2022 from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm, doors open at 1:30pm. In response to COVID-19 safety precautions, the Urban League of Louisiana has decided to host this annual event as a hybrid event. In-person is reserved for special guest, we will live stream to the public.
DATE: Monday, March 21, 2022
TIME: 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
REGISTER: 2021-22 Women in Business Challenge: Scale Up! Tickets, Mon, Mar 21, 2022 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite
THE FINALISTS
Sierra Dee, SugarLove Bakery
In love with creating edible art, Sierra Dee opened Sugarlove Bakery in Slidell, Louisiana. Although the bakery was opened in 2014, Sugarlove was born in Sierra’s mothers home kitchen. Working days as a single mother and nights as an aspiring business owner. She gives all glory to God for the ability the follow her dreams and open a bakery. Sierra is the proud inventor of king cake on a stick! This little invention has helped elbow her way into a very thick king cake market. With eyes on this new way of eating king cake, parade goers gave Sugarlove a try! Fast forward to now, Sugarlove has won many awards for the flavor and uniqueness of their king cake! Sierra is proud of her team at Sugarlove and all they have accomplished! From being named best bakery on the Northshore to being featured in magazines and books, she is amazed every day that the dream of owning a bakery has become reality! Sierra strives to find ways for sweets to bring joy. She wants to help people through the outlet of sugary sweetness to deliver the love of God.
Twila McGee, NOLAs Finest Pets
Born and raised in Uptown, NOLA, Twila is a pet lover, artist, baking connoisseur, & total boss. She opened her 5-star private walking & pet sitting business, NOLAs Finest Pet Care LLC. back in 2013 and was among the first to introduce in-home pet care to the New Orleans area. She recently launched her exclusively for pet lovers’ line, which offers unique must-haves. Painted or sketched New Orleans inspired stationery, home décor, clothing & more. NOLAs Finest Pet Care LLC is the only pet business in the area that makes human grade gourmet pet treats with the option of delivery.
Sherilyn Hayward, Leroy’s Lipsmack’n Lemonade
Sherilyn Hayward was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in South Baton Rouge in an area known as “The Bottom”.
When her son Leroy III was born with hearing loss and on the artistic spectrum, she knew she had to work hard to make sure he would be fully included and not held back by the world. When Leroy was 6 years old, she entered him in the Raising Canes Lemonade Day entrepreneur program to teach him how to be an entrepreneur and learn to give back to Children’s Hospital because they played a major part in Leroy’s development and improvement. They did lemonade day every year, and in 2014 their lemonade won first place in the south-east Louisiana lemonade day tasting contest.
Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade business has since been recognized by several local magazines and newspapers. Their lemonade is now sold in over 30 local stores and restaurants, all LSU sports venues and on their mobile truck.
AnaMaria Bech, Viva NOLA Magazine
2021-22 KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Krystal H. Allen
A native of Selma, Alabama, Krystal Allen is the Founder & CEO of K. Allen Consulting™ , an education advocate, a philanthropist, and a real estate investor. K. Allen Consulting™ is an international education & management consulting firm that provides customized workshops, coaching, and strategic planning services to nonprofits, for-profit companies, and government agencies. KAC’s current and past clients include for-profit companies such as Amazon and Google, government agencies such as New Orleans East Hospital and local housing authorities, and nonprofits such as The United Negro College Fund.
A well-respected former school principal and teacher, Krystal began her career teaching elementary school, serving as an instructional coach, then asst. principal, and finally leading as a school principal. Most recently featured within Time Magazine, she is a 2019 Gambit 40 Under 40 recipient, a 2019 Aspen Institute Ideas Festival Scholar, the 2016 Urban League of Louisiana ULEAD Activist Award recipient, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Kid Smart; Success at Thurgood Marshall; and the Selma Center for Nonviolence. A first-generation college graduate, Krystal earned her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, M.Ed. from NLU-Chicago, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in K-12 Urban Educational Leadership & Policy at Columbia University (NYC). Krystal’s work and passion for DEI, social justice, adult learning, and organizational development are the driving forces of her work and commitment to equity.
CHALLENGE OVERVIEW
The Urban League of Louisiana’s annual Women-In-Business (WIB) Challenge is a pitch competition designed to empower female entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have been given education, tools, and resources through the 11-week Scale Up! Louisiana Accelerator program. Once you graduate from the accelerator program you can apply for the annual pitch competition. Four finalists will be selected to pitch their business plans for chance to win $10,000 in growth capital.
ABOUT SCALE UP! LOUISIANA
Scale Up! Louisiana is a statewide entrepreneurial education program hosted by Urban League of Louisiana’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The program provides early stage businesses with the education and resources that are critical to creating a scalable and profitable business model. The goal of this initiative is to provide entrepreneurial development services within communities across the state of Louisiana – based on the challenges, opportunities, and small business development needs that are unique to each community. This program puts resources in place for small business education, counseling, technical assistance, mentorship, funding, and other support services within targeted communities.
Scale Up! Louisiana is a transition program that guides existing small business owners towards becoming high growth, sustainable ventures. This nine-week program is delivered via nine, six-hour, in-classroom sessions and four web classes. In addition, participants have the opportunity to work with a business advisor for counseling, technical assistance, and other support services as needed. There is no cost to participants to attend the program.
Interested in being a part of the Next WIB Challenge:
For consideration into the Women In Business Challenge, businesses must meet the following criteria:
- Be a graduate of the Scale Up! Louisiana Program (programs run throughout the year)
- Be owned and operated by women (51% or more)
- Have at least $40,000 in annual verifiable revenue
- Have been in business (operational) for at least 12 months
- Have a minimum of 2 full-time employees including the owner
In addition, participants must have a business model that is innovative and/or technology-driven, OR, be a traditional business that provides services that support women and girls, OR otherwise demonstrate a positive economic impact in the community. The business should also be scalable with the potential to generate at least $500,000 in revenue within 3-5 years.
QUESTIONS?
Call the Urban League Women’s Business Resource Center at 504-620-9647 or email us at wbrc@urbanleaguela.org
CHALLENGE ARCHIVES
