Season 5 Winners Announced: 12/16/2022

The winners were announced Friday morning live at Tower City on “Kickin’ it with Kenny” on FOX 8 News. The atmosphere was festive as confetti flew and competitors showed of their wares and shared samples at booths set up on the mall’s lower level. The first-place winner received $40,000, and three second-place winners will get $10,000 each.

They are:

First place:
Terranean Herbs & Spices, maker of authentic Za’atar seasonings and snack products

Second place:

• CHVD JUSTIN, a retail bag and apparel company designed by a student in his dorm room
• Fuego Fermentations, creator of high-quality premium sauces, specializing in fermented hot sauces and BBQ sauce
• Micah Specialty Foods, a manufacturer of authentic Ghanaian/African spices, sauces and beverages.
  
  Full Press Release: Here

Updated 12/7/2022

Final Cleveland Chain Reaction 2022 Pitch Days

Updated 11/7/2022

Meet our Season 5 semi-finalists

ARE YOU A SMALL BUSINESS SEEKING GROWTH AND INVESTMENT?

Applications are closed.

Submit an application for the Cleveland Chain Reaction pitch competition for the opportunity to access both capital investment and promotion for your business! Our first place winner will receive $40K, our second place winner will receive $20K , and our third place winner will receive $10K.

The Cleveland Chain Reaction (CCR) project is produced by the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) in collaboration with JumpStart and is featured on FOX 8’s “Kickin' it with Kenny” morning show. This year's program is made possible by our generous supporters MAGNET, Bedrock, and KeyBank.

The goal of CCR is to create jobs, investment and prosperity in Cleveland’s neighborhoods while providing education and information for entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners to benefit our community.

Since it's inception, the program has received more than 400 applications, coached and prepared 88 small business semi-finalists, connected winning businesses to nearly $1.7M in capital, and provided 380 hours of technical assistance. We have also showcased the amazing amenities of nine different Cleveland Neighborhoods.

And in 2022, we want to continue the momentum and do even more! This year, small businesses will be competing in a pitch competition with the pool of available funds being sourced from the business community across Northeast Ohio.