by Christy Ragle, Wholeheart Communications, LLC.

Months of learning, dreaming, and planning culminated for three area businesses during the Henry County Business Builders Pitch Night. Community leaders, family members, and friends gathered to hear pitches from Grace & Co Coffee, Aric Eats, and Oracle Commons. The pitches followed two months of workshops presented by the East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) covering topics such as financials, business planning, and marketing. 

The New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) provided the prize money of $2,500 for the winner and $1,000 for the People’s Choice award. New Castle Main Street coordinated the project and hosted the Launch Night. 

“Economic Development proudly supports Business Builders and we believe it can be a good kick-start for entrepreneurs as they learn and plan their business,” shared Penny York, Special Projects Coordinator for the EDC. “The education component of Business Builders is an invaluable source of information for an entrepreneur.”

The evening began with a pitch from Sarah Russell of Grace & Co Coffee. This company started as a mobile coffee trailer and is planning to open up a coffee shop in downtown Middletown. 

“Our location is near a water park, baseball fields, and preschool,” Russell explained. “Our goal is to provide a comfortable, welcoming environment for everyone, especially moms and kids.” 

Russell pitched using the funding to purchase chairs, tables, and comfortable furniture for guests. She explained that she had learned a lot about business through her mobile coffee shop and gave a shout out to her SBDC business advisor, Clint Albert.

The next pitch was from Oracle Commons, which is focused on developing affordable tiny home communities for underserved areas. Tara Carter and Elquisto Brown shared their vision for offering high-quality small homes in a beautiful setting. 

“We aim to provide housing that feels aspirational, not transitional,” Carter noted. 

The duo presented in front of a slideshow that showed images of what the tiny home community could look like. Their goal is to make New Castle the first community and then to create a replicable model that spans various areas. They planned to use funding to secure a manufacturer to supply the homes. 

The evening concluded with a pitch from a family of food-lovers who also have a passion for serving those with dairy and gluten allergies. Aric Stoots and Valerie Bertolina, the team behind Aric Eats recognized that there were no options in New Castle for those who are looking for dairy-free and gluten-free foods. They started by offering clearly labeled prepackaged foods at local farmers markets, with an aim to provide food that feels normal and accessible. 

“Everyone deserves a place at the table,” expressed Bertolina. “Aric Eats is ready to build it.” 

Aric Eats works to make each item as locally sourced as possible, and prices range from $6 to $12. Their pitch funding would be used to purchase a canopy and food permits needed for the business to grow. 

“Each business is unique and brings different ideas and approaches. It has been especially rewarding to hear a variety of perspectives and learn from the participants’ backgrounds,” said Claudia Metzger, East Central Indiana SBDC Small Business Program Specialist. “Because we have been meeting over the span of a few months, we have gotten to know each other much more. It’s given us an opportunity to dive deeper into their business needs and provide them with curated education.”

The evening’s judges were Peggy Cenova, former director of the East Central Indiana SBDC; our very own Caitlin Hancock, President/CEO of Forge East Central Indiana; and Leslie Shaul, Senior Manager of Workforce Development for Rush County. 

The evening’s big winner was Sarah Russell of Grace & Co Coffee. She won the primary award and the People’s Choice award, selected by votes from the audience. 

“Every time we’re able to present this opportunity to our entrepreneurs, we help equip them with the belief that there are resources available right here where we live that can help their dreams become a reality,” explained Emily Hurst, Executive Director of New Castle Main Street. “We live in a community of people who desire to take risks and dream big. Brave entrepreneurs like the three presenters we had this year help us continue to build a regionwide paradigm that Henry County, Indiana deserves nice things.” 

Business Builders is an annual collaboration between New Castle Main Street, the EDC and East Central Indiana SBDC. A callout meeting is typically held in February to start the series. To stay connected with the latest, follow the EDC on Facebook and LinkedIn and subscribe to their email newsletter at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/ZMyuWJa/edcsignup

Strengthening the Region Through Entrepreneurship

Events like Business Builders Pitch Night reflect something bigger happening across East Central Indiana.

At Forge East Central Indiana, our work centers on creating the conditions for growth—supporting talent, strengthening communities, and helping ideas turn into opportunity. Programs like Business Builders play an important role in that effort by equipping entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to take the next step.

When local businesses grow, they do more than create products or services—they contribute to the vitality of downtowns, expand job opportunities, and help shape the identity of their communities.

That’s what makes initiatives like this so important. They demonstrate that the resources, support systems, and belief in local entrepreneurs already exist here—and that East Central Indiana continues to be a place where ideas can take root and grow.