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Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) held its 22nd annual business pitch competition and award ceremony on April 28. A total of $75,000 was awarded to eight student small-business owners or hopefuls who successfully pitched their business plans to judges. The prize money awarded will be used to invest in the students’ companies.
“(This) competition is part of AACC’s proud tradition of preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs,” AACC President Dawn Lindsay said in a statement. “Together, we celebrate the innovation and dedication that drives small businesses, which play such an important role in strengthening our local community.”
Contestants also received invaluable feedback from the judges panel of representatives from SCORE, the Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce, M&T Bank, TEDCO, AutoTag Connect (a 2018 business pitch competition award recipient) and the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, which provided funding for the competition.
Julie McVearry earned the top $25,000 award to relaunch M Café Luxe, a food truck that will offer high-quality healthy food options. As a young mom with children involved in multiple sports across many locations, McVearry was tired of drive-thru dinners and concession stand staples. The cash award will allow her to make upgrades to her current truck, as well as develop an app where customers can track her location, next stops, and place orders online.
Her truck is stationed in Pasadena, where her route will begin, and several times a week will swing through Severna Park, south along Route 2, to Arnold and eventually down to Edgewater. Regular stops will include medical facilities, high schools, parks, sports facilities, farmers’ markets and more.
“I believe there are a lot of people with passions and ideas who simply don’t know how to bring those thoughts to fruition,” said McVearry, a nursing student and mother of five. “This process really helped me bring my business into focus, and the funding was a great incentive.”
Arnold resident and Broadneck High School senior Nehemiah Robison also attends AACC as a business student. He earned $15,000 to expand his business, Trident Detailing and Christmas Light Installation. The young entrepreneur has worked several kinds of part-time jobs and already knows that he wants to be his own boss. With his award, he will purchase a used van and customize it with tanks and equipment to make his current business more efficient.
“The mentoring I was provided during this process was phenomenal,” Robison said. “I learned how to organize my thoughts, refine my pitch, and really dig into the financial and promotion aspects of my business.”
The first round of the competition required students to submit a 10-page business plan with comprehensive requirements including a three-year financial projection. Coaches provided feedback to help the top eight students prepare for the live pitch in front of judges. Students had only two minutes to pitch their businesses, followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session with the judges. After all students made their pitches, the judges scored them using a rubric and conferred to determine the winners.
“This annual program is so much more than a competition,” said Stephanie Goldenberg, academic chair of the Entrepreneurial Studies Institute at AACC. “We hope that students take this experience beyond college to become business advisors and collaborators with other entrepreneurs. There is much to learn from each other no matter what business they’re in.”
2026 Business Pitch Competition Winners
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