Start Something Challenge 2016 - Jersey City Entrants

It's time for this year's Start Something Challenge from Rising Tide Capital. The Start Something Challenge is a business pitch competition for New Jersey entrepreneurs that give entrants the chance to not only gain feedback, but win ipads for their business, cash prizes, and one grand prize of a $10,000 business grant.

This year, there are three great local food businesses competing (among others), all run by dedicated women intent on celebrating and enhancing the food community in Jersey City. I wanted to share a little about them because I love what they do.

Chilltown Kitchen - run by Alysis Vasquez, Chilltown Kitchen runs pop-up supper clubs with a group of Jersey City based chefs throughout the year. Each dinner has a different theme, features multiple courses all with delicious and imaginative food, and is very community-oriented.

Jersey Girls Food Tours - run by Alessia Aron and Janis Borroto, JGFT offers narrated food tours and tastings of local Jersey City restaurants throughout the year, often with introductions and meet and greets with the chefs. Their tours are fun, delicious, and a great way to try out several restaurants at once while learning a little about Jersey City. 

The Hudson Kitchen - run by Djenaba Johnson-Jones, Hudson Kitchen aims to create a food entrepreneur network and help local small businesses succeed through space and equipment rentals, consulting services, and events. At many of their events, they promote and feature local food businesses from around Jersey City and offer panels and instructional sessions with other experienced locals and restaurateurs. 

As part of the challenge, they've all had to create short videos posted on YouTube that show a little about their business and I recommend looking them up, along with all the other Start Something entrants, just to see all the great creativity, hard work, and inspirational small business start-ups that are out there.