May 11, 2026

An exciting wave of entrepreneurship recently swept through campus as students pitched their business ideas during the college’s first-ever Shark Tank-style competition. The Trailblazer Tank Pitch Competition took place on Friday, April 17 and was made possible by a grant from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE). The event gave aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to present new business concepts and recently launched ventures to a panel of judges for a chance to win startup funding.

The competition was funded by NACCE’s Everyday Entrepreneurship Grant, which supports entrepreneurial initiatives at community colleges across the country. According to organizers, the goal was to encourage innovation and provide students from all academic backgrounds with the opportunity to explore business ownership.

“We wanted students to see that entrepreneurship is for everyone,” said organizer Dr. Renee Just, Department Chair of the Accounting and Business Administration Program. “This wasn’t limited to entrepreneurship students. We had participants from several different programs across campus.”

The response exceeded expectations. Eighteen students from diverse academic backgrounds including Healthcare, Human Services Technology, Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, High School Equivalency, Arts and IT Programming & Development competed in the Pitch Competition, demonstrating strong interest in entrepreneurship and innovation. Participants pitched their ideas to a panel consisting of one professor and two local community members with business experience. Students were evaluated on several factors, including the population their business would serve, the need for the service or product, startup costs and overall business strategy.

After extensive discussion and debate among the judges, four top prizes were awarded to standout business concepts. The winning ideas reflected both creativity and practical community needs. Top winners included first place winner Shanteea Dalton, whose major is Information Technology. She won $1600 for her business Sweet Pal Parties, a mobile children’s party business. Second place went to Entrepreneurship major, Brandon Dow, who won $1200 to support his car detailing business, Dotway Mobile Detailing. In third place, Michael Houston won $900 for his business Houston Cleaning Services, that honors his lived experience of growing up accompanying his grandmother when she cleaned hotels. He is currently in the High School Equivalency program. The fourth place winner was Entrepreneurship major Allie Crandall. She won $500 for her business, Play Café, which is a place for children to explore an interactive environment where children can role-play careers such as bankers, nurses and other community professions while parents enjoy a café atmosphere.

Given the success of the inaugural event and the strong level of student participation, organizers hope the competition can become an ongoing opportunity in the future — dependent on securing additional funding. The event highlighted not only the entrepreneurial talent on campus, but also the growing importance of supporting student innovation and small business development within the local community.