Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Some local entrepreneurs will be competing in a “Shark Tank” style pitch competition next week.

The Lake Trust Foundation will host its Entrepreneur Pitch Competition on Thursday, November 5th. The event serves as the grand finale for local, small business owners who completed the Lake Trust Entrepreneurship Institute (LTEI) - a free, exclusive online business program at Cleary University.

Before a panel of judges and a community audience, nine LTEI graduates will pitch their businesses and compete for funding to support their continued growth.

At the conclusion of the event, The Lake Trust Foundation will award a total of $20,000 in funding - with the first-place winner receiving $10,000, second-place receiving $5,000 and third-place receiving $3,500.

In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite pitch and select an entrepreneur to take home $1,500 as the Audience Choice Award winner.

The event runs from 5:30 to 8pm on Thursday, November 5th at Lake Trust Credit Union Headquarters at 4605 South Old US-23 in Brighton.

The previous winner was Emily Stone, founder of Whole Mama Michigan.

The public is invited to observe the pitches, although those interested will need to register in advance via the provided link.