RIDGEFIELD, CT — A proposed trolley service for Ridgefield took first place at Tiger Shark Tank 5, winning both the judges' top prize and the People's Choice Award at the Ridgefield Economic and Community Development Commission's annual business pitch competition.
Elizabeth DiSalvo and Bob Jewell, who presented Acorn Express, received $3,000 in Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce gift cards after competing against four other businesses at the Ridgefield Playhouse.
Miles Ahead Creative Studios, presented by Miles Elliot, finished second and received $1,500 in gift cards. Shteig.ai, presented by Dalip Korabi, placed third and received $500 in gift cards.
The fifth annual competition featured a judging panel that included IBM CEO Arvind Krishna and Virginia Turnbull, senior vice president and commercial lending team leader at Fairfield County Bank, the event's title sponsor.
Five businesses presented their proposals to the judges and audience.
DiSalvo and Jewell proposed Acorn Express, a trolley service for Ridgefield.
Jillian Fontana presented Mod Elixirs, a nonalcoholic beverage company, while Elliot proposed Miles Ahead Creative Studios, a workspace intended for local artists, entrepreneurs and businesses.
Korabi presented Shteig.ai, a platform designed to manage medical billing from patient visits through payment.
Ellie Grayson Mendez introduced Novel Movement, a fitness studio combining exercise with storytelling.
Contestants discussed the development of their businesses and their connections to Ridgefield, which is designated as Connecticut's first cultural district.
This year's competition introduced a People's Choice Award, allowing audience members to vote for their preferred business by scanning a QR code. Acorn Express won that award in addition to taking first place in the judges' competition.
The event also introduced a Feeder Tank, which allowed additional businesses that had applied for the competition to participate in networking activities before the presentations.
Ridgefield High School students from the school's business and investment clubs greeted attendees, distributed programs and introduced guests to contestants.
Three Ridgefield High School seniors — Evan Sherling, Simon DeMain and Rhona Brosnan — also presented their business ideas to the audience.
Representatives from the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce, Founders Hall, U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE and Connecticut Small Business Development Center participated in the networking portion of the event.
Pamme Jones, an ECDC commissioner and executive and artistic director of the Ridgefield Theater Barn, served as emcee.
According to the commission, judges reviewed the business proposals before the competition and provided feedback to contestants during the event.
The program also provided opportunities for contestants to meet potential investors, business leaders and representatives of organizations that provide business assistance.
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