Calhoun native has winning business pitch
Sonoraville graduate Harmony Petty wins $2,500 for her business, Harmony’s Crafty Creations, during a Berry College pitch competition.
Calhoun native Harmony Petty took fourth place and won $ 2,500 for her business — Harmony’s Crafty Creations — during a Berry College pitch competition earlier this month.
The Sonoraville High graduate is an early childhood education major in her sophomore year at Berry. She won the $2,500 from the Entrepreneurial Seed Fund for her business during the 2019 Pitch Competition on Friday. Petty hand makes a variety of products from T-shirts to diaper towers.
“Her hope is to take her business to the next level and use the money she was awarded to hire a Berry student worker to help increase productivity of her business,” a news release stated.
The Berry College Entre- preneurship Program sponsored the 2019 Pitch Competition, which is under the leadership of Professor of Management Paula Englis. Petty was one of five students to receive cash to fund their businesses.
In first place was senior management major Ben Umberger of Dawsonville. He won $11,000 to grow his cattle business, Umberger Farms Cattle Company, which he started when he was 11 years old, feeding calves by the bottle before and after school. His business, now located in Trion, is focused on raising Hereford and Angus beef cattle by cross producing them to make a more efficient and dynamic beef calf that excels in the current beef market.
Umberger took the grand prize of $10,000 from the Henry & Clara Ford Fund for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the 2019 Pitch Competition. He also won an additional $1,000 for audience-choice Berry Best Idea, which was voted on live at the event.
For more information about the Berry College Entrepreneurship Program, visit berryentrepreneurs. com/AbouttheProgram-4.