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ArtSculpt International, of Fairview Heights, is the winner of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s seventh annual Metro East Startup Challenge (MESC).  The 2020 business plan competition attracted more than 25 entrepreneurs to compete for award prizes totaling $20,000. 

ArtSculpt International, who received $10,000 for first place, is a mosaic tile art company in Fairview Heights and is owned by engineer David Kniepkamp and artist Catharine Magel. 

Representing Pushing Limits Inc., of Mulberry Grove, received $6,000 as the second-place winner.  Stephanie Blankenship is the owner of the heavy-duty diesel repair shop, serving transportation companies across the U.S.  

Sharp Coffee, of O’Fallon, earned $4,000 for third place. Brandon Belvin and his business partner John Ross showcased their product, RoomTap, an innovative business conference room reservation system.

New to 2020’s competition, and thanks to the generosity of Regions Bank, is the category of a fourth-place prize winner.  Jodie Ferguson, founder of Clara B’s Kitchen Table, took the $1,000 prize. She plans to grow her Belleville food truck business.

“We are impressed by the large number of superior quality concepts brought forth by the participants,” said Jo Ann DiMaggio May, director of the IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE. “It made the evaluation process and the awarding of prize money extremely difficult for reviewers and judges.”

The winners will also receive in-kind support from Carol Sparks, of Sparks Law in Troy, and accounting services from Kerber Eck & Braeckel LLP, of Edwardsville, to help form their businesses and manage start-up expenses. Other in-kind services include website design assistance from Tech Fusion, of Troy, cybersecurity/IT services from Global Enterprise Services, and co-working space for a set period of time at The Lodge in Edwardsville.

The top four teams will present their winning business concepts virtually before the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois (LCSWIL) board of directors meeting on Friday, Dec. 4. LCSWIL includes more than 200 leaders in business, industry, education, government and labor in southwestern Illinois.

May and SBDC Business Specialist Marti Wieland, along with SBDC’s graduate assistants, are enthused about the overall participation in the Challenge and the applicants’ business ideas and presentations.

 “Our goal is to continue to increase the awareness and reach of the Start-up Challenge’s vast opportunities,” May said. “The Challenge is becoming a recognized fixture in the region’s entrepreneurial community, and the Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE looks forward to its continued growth and success.” 

The IL SBDC for the Metro East organizes and manages the competition with the support of the SIUE School of Business, as well as from other business and economic development partners throughout its nine-county service area. 

Finalists in the 2020 MESC also included:

• Air Eye, of Edwardsville
• Amygdala Co., of Belleville
• Denali Building Supply, of Edwardsville 

The Challenge is made possible through tremendous regional support. Sponsors include:  the SIUE School of Business, the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, Anders CPA & Advisors, America’s Central Port, Edwardsville Bank, Madison County Economic Development, the City of Edwardsville, National Development Council, Town and Country Bank (Edwardsville and Fairview Heights locations), City of Highland, Carrollton Bank, St. Clair County Economic Development, Growth Corp, the City of Alton, Regions Bank, Riverbend Growth Association, FCB Banks, Monroe County Economic Development Corporation, Commerce Bank, Barber Murphy Group, and University Park at SIUE.

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE and East St. Louis assists start-up ventures like these, as well as existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county region of southwestern Illinois, including Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph counties. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIUE, as a service to Illinois small businesses.

By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating and retaining new jobs and encouraging new investment. The SBDC enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of advising, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large.

To learn more about the SBDC, contact the IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE at 618-650-2929.

Photo: (L-R) Jodie Ferguson and Benjamin Henning, of Clara B’s Kitchen Table;  Brandon Belvin, of Sharp Coffee; David Kniepkamp and Catherine Magel, of Art Sculpt International; and Stephanie Blankenship of Pushing Limits.