Comcast Business named 30 small business owners from across the U.S. as regional winners in the Innovations 4 Entrepreneurs Contest (I4E), a competition that will award more than $440,000 to up-and-coming companies that are leveraging technology to enhance their business. Each of the regional winners, which include 15 startups and 15 entrepreneurs, receives a $10,000 cash award and the chance to compete for the opportunity to consult with more than a dozen business experts. The list of regional winners and their essays are available here.
“Since we first launched the Innovations 4 Entrepreneurs program, we have witnessed first-hand how technology can be the differentiator in accelerating customer satisfaction and growing revenue across many types of businesses,” Denice Hasty, SVP of marketing and product management for Comcast Business, says. “These 30 startups and entrepreneurs serve as a model for other small businesses seeking to grow and expand their operations through the use of advanced technology.”
Winners were selected based on submitted essays about how they would use technology to enhance their business. Entries were judged by John Jantsch, marketing consultant and author of “Duct Tape Marketing,” “The Commitment Engine” and “The Referral Engine,” and Anita Campbell, founder, CEO and publisher of Small Business Trends.
The next round of the competition is the public vote, where six businesses will be selected as grand prize winners and receive an additional $20,000 cash award, as well as a trip to Comcast Business headquarters in Philadelphia. Voting will happen from April 26-May 13, 2016. The six grand prize winners will be announced June 6, with the grand prize winner event in Philadelphia in August.