(BALTIMORE – October 5, 2022) – Next Phaze Café, owned by Tony and Meeka Randall, was the place to be last night as 5 entrepreneurs from the DMV competed for a cash prize in the DM Firm’s Brunch Pitch. Our hostess was LaQuida Chancey of SmalltimoreHomes.org.
Founded by the DM Firm’s Tasemere Gathers, the Brunch Pitch is designed to help strengthen entrepreneurs’ elevator spiel. The better one’s pitch, the more likely a business owner is to gain support including the capital.
Gathers stated, “Last night was another successful Brunch Pitch competition.” Gathers, who has hosted competitions already in Brooklyn, NY, and Harlem NY, was excited to bring the event to Baltimore. Baltimore is home to one of the largest populations of Black business owners in the nation.
She added, “Baltimore really showed out #frfr. The entrepreneurs took a leap and presented their businesses to our judges. The audience fought the weather and traffic to make it out. The judges didn’t take it easy on our entrepreneurs, though. Each entrepreneur had 8 mins of Q&A from the judges. The questions were insightful and thought-provoking. We can’t wait to announce our tour dates for 2023.”
The event even attracted one of the DM Firm’s clients, Black Woman Be Whole, who drove to Baltimore from New York for last night’s event.
The pitchers included: Josephine Ocheni – Black Wedding Experience LLC; Tiffany Templeton-Forte – Fit and Female Fitness Program LLC; Gerard Charlot and Trevor Alexander – Ishini, Inc; and Jefferson Bulter – Bulter Cooking.
The judges were Marc Clarke, Mike NYCE, Ericka Alston-Buck, Brandon Andrews, and Sean Stinnett.
And the winner was Tiffany Templeton-Forte.
Gathers added, “Baltimore Black Excellence Edition of the Brunch Pitch stood up to its name. The entrepreneurs came out and not only presented their businesses, but they were also in the “hot seat” with the judges during the Q&A portion. It is inspiring to see the black ecosystem come full circle. Can’t wait to come back.”