Rio Salado College, in partnership with NACCE/Everyday Entrepreneur Program and Wells Fargo, recently hosted a virtual Small Business Pitch event.
After carefully considering several thoughtly-conceived and creative pitches, we are thrilled to announce the winners as part of National Small Business Week :
🥇 First Place: Shaniqua Hopkins (funded by Wells Fargo)
🥈 Second Place: Maya Mack (funded by Wells Fargo)
🥉 Third Place (Tied): Jose Armando Marquez Arocha (funded by NACCE/EE)
🥉 Third Place (Tied): Marit Navarro (funded by NACCE/EE)
🏅 Fourth Place: Andrew Budlong (funded by NACCE/EE)
Rio Salado’s partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) for the Everyday Entrepreneur Program began during the 2020-2021 school year when Maricopa Community Colleges was selected to take part in a two-year cohort program. This program provides funding to students to take part in programs like the Small Business Pitch competition, which is also supported by Wells Fargo.
The goal of the partnership, according to the website, is to help “cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in our community by providing scalable resources, practical strategies and tools, and building an empowering environment in colleges for future entrepreneurs. By helping students learn financial management skills and develop tools that will help them achieve long-term business success, this program aims to create the next generation of game changers, innovators, and movers ans shakers.”
Now, let’s celebrate the winners!
First Place: Shaniqua Hopkins, founder of 7th Dream Helping Hearts
Hopkins’ nonprofit is built on her own experience in foster care from a young age, as well as being a teen mom. Today, 7th Dream Helping Hearts currently serves 15 at-risk pregnant and parenting teens and young adults in the Valley.
“They have educational barriers, emotional and mental challenges, and financial strains,” Hopkins said. “They have limited career opportunities, very little knowledge of community organizations that can help them. They experience housing instabilities and they also experience legal issues.”
With Hopkin’s guidance and support, these disadvantaged community members are connected to services, mentoring, workshops, parenting classes, career development, trauma counseling and more.
Hopkins started at Rio Salado in June 2023 and is working toward an associate degree in Family Life Education after completing a certificate in Child and Family Organizations Management and Administration.
Second Place: Maya Mack, Owner and Operator of Cornhusker Cleaning LLC
In June 2021, Mack and her partner moved with their combined six children to Arizona from Nebraska. Wanting to be available for their children, they joined an online service platform and saw an immediate need for cleaning services. Rather than work for someone else, they decided to work for themselves and started a professional company in the West Valley. They focus on common cleaning, deep cleaning, move in/move out cleans and customized cleaning on a one-time or recurring basis.
Mack started at Rio Salado College in October of 2023 after being selected for a grant program through Route to Relief. She is studying Small Business Entrepreneurship.
Third Place (Tied): Jose Armando Marquez Arocha, Founder of Moving Specialist
Third Place (Tied): Marit Navarro, Founder of Yeah, We Clean
Fourth Place: Andrew Budlong, Owner and Founder of Happy Days Window Cleaning
Want to Start a Business?
Rio Salado offers two certificate programs in Entrepreneurial Studies that equip students with essential business skills. Two additional certificates in Small Business Management provide students the necessary tools for operating and growing their enterprises.
Learn More About Career Success
We have a series of articles about how to cultivate and hone essential job skills. Check out some of our career stories: