TVFCU announces Idea Leap Grant semifinalists

February 28, 2023

WDEF News,

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU) is hosting three Idea Leap Grant competitions. Monday, they announced the semifinalists.

The grants will go to small business owners in the Tennessee Valley area.

The credit union is granting a total of $75,000 to Chattanooga winners, $50,000 to Cleveland winners and $50,000 to Northwest Georgia winners.

TVFCU announced ten semifinalists in Chattanooga, nine in Northwest Georgia and seven in Cleveland.

Chattanooga Semifinalists:

Five total grants will go out to Chattanooga entrepreneurs. In Chattanooga, first place will receive $30,000, second place will receive $15,000 and three runners-up will each receive $10,000.

The Chattanooga-area semifinalists are:

Alchemy Spice Company
Cocoa Asante
RMJ USA
Simply Props
TEREN
The Local Juicery
The Professional Cleaning Solution
The Speech Language Reading Center
W Salon
We Clean Chattanooga

Cleveland Semifinalists:

Three total grants will go out to Cleveland-area entrepreneurs. The first place winner will receive $25,000, second place will receive $15,000 and third place will receive $10,000.

Cleveland’s semifinalists are:

Anistasis Wellness
Biskit NV
Carroll Printing Company
Direct Primary Care Associates, PLLC
Happy Tails Grooming Salon
Mayfield Farm Park
Rod’s Rocking Rolls

Northwest Georgia Semifinalists:

Three total grants will go out to Northwest Georgia-area entrepreneurs. First place receives $25,000, second place receives $15,000 and third place receives $10,000.

Northwest Georgia’s semifinalists are:

Alarm City
Battlefield Outdoors
Baxter Dean Studios
Birria Broz
Dalton Brewing Company
DIRT Design & Decor
Foundation Direct Family Care
Hillside Farm
Inflated LLC

“Although the Idea Leap Grant opportunity has always been open to small businesses across the credit union’s entire service area, this is the first year we’ve expanded the Idea Leap Grant into three competitions,” said Tommy Nix, vice president of business and commercial services. “Each small business was asked to apply in the area they primarily serve and, as a result, the number of applicants nearly doubled from las(t) year, making this program even more competitive. We offer sincere congratulations to the small business owners who have been named semifinalists in the 6th Annual Idea Leap Grant, and we encourage entrepreneurs who are no longer in the competition to apply again next year.”

The public can assist in voting for the People’s Choice Finalists on TVFCU’s social media pages soon. They say voting will be posted on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.

TVFCU said they received almost 300 grant applications. Independent panels of volunteer judges selected quarterfinalists. The quarterfinalists then submitted five-minute videos about their business. Judges selected the semifinalists based on these videos.

To learn more about the Idea Leap Grant, visit TVFCU’s website.