Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union Announces Third Annual Idea Leap Grant Semifinalists
September 30, 2020
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Sept. 30) — Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union is proud to announce the Idea Leap Grant semifinalists for 2020.
“We know that this year is certainly unprecedented,” said Tommy Nix, vice president of business and commercial services. “In early April, we distributed the funds that were allocated for this year’s in-person Pitch Night to existing Idea Leap loan members. These funds assisted 80 small businesses during a very difficult time. This was well before PPP loans. We felt this was the right decision to make. However, we still want to help small businesses and we have identified funding for a Virtual Idea Leap Grant Pitch Night.”
Past Idea Leap Grant participants who didn’t place in the top five in 2018 and 2019 were eligible to participate in the Third Annual Idea Leap Grant. They simply created a 5-minute video about why their business should receive an Idea Leap Grant.
Now, we need the community’s help to identify the People’s Choice Finalist. Visit tvfcu.com’s Idea Leap Grant page under the “Business” tab to see the semifinalist videos. You can also find the videos on TVFCU’s Facebook page page and TVFCU’s YouTube page. Watch the videos and then cast your vote for your favorite semifinalist by texting the corresponding text code to 223-33. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 2.
The semifinalist with the most votes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 2, will be named the People’s Choice Finalist. Our independent, volunteer grant selection committee will select the other two finalists. Then three finalists will compete for one of three grants valued at (1) $10,000, (1) $7,000 and (1) $3,000.
Tune in for TVFCU’s Virtual Pitch Night during Startup Week Chattanooga on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. ET. The event will be streamed on TVFCU’s Facebook page and YouTube.
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About Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union
Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU), a not-for-profit financial cooperative, was established in 1936 when 57 Chattanooga TVA employees pooled $500 to create the member-owned credit union. Today, TVFCU serves more than 155,000 members who live, work, worship, volunteer or attend school throughout the 13-county service community. With more than $1.8 billion in assets and 19 branches throughout the area, TVFCU is the largest credit union in the region. For more information about TVFCU, please visit tvfcu.com.
Third Annual Idea Leap Grant Semifinalist Facts
Anchor Family Counseling (tvfcu1)
Location: Cleveland, Tenn.
Owner: Heather Carver, LPC-MHSP, CCTP
Established: August 2017
Hopes to Win Grant to: Expand our facilities and staff to provide even more services for more members of our community.
Cashew (tvfcu2)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owners: Bailey Cole and Kristiana Mallo
Established: September 2013
Hopes to Win Grant to: Upgrade equipment and update kitchen HVAC and ventilation system.
Chambers Welding & Fabrication, Corp. (tvfcu3)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owners: Brent and Chanda Chambers
Established: October 2015
Hopes to Win Grant to: Help purchase equipment to expand our capabilities to provide additional employment opportunities, training and certifications.
Chatta-Cakes Bakery (tvfcu4)
Location: Hixson, Tenn.
Owners: Shannon Anderson & Mike Anderson
Established: 2013
Hopes to Win Grant to: Purchase new oven, refrigeration equipment, dough sheeter and another edible image printer.
Good Fortune Soap & Spa (tvfcu5)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owner: Jennifer Strain
Established: May 2006
Hopes to Win Grant to: Invest in relationships with mentors that can help us scale our DIY experience and storefront into a franchised brand. We want to spread the love of scents, skincare and relaxation to cities all across the South and U.S.
LearningRx Chattanooga (tvfcu6)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owner: Ben Ubamadu and Michelle Hecker Davis
Established: March 2010
Hopes to Win Grant to: Provide continuing education and specialist credentialing to entire staff to become the first Board Certified Cognitive Center in Tennessee.
Locals Only Gifts & Goods (tvfcu7)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owners: Eric and Danielle Landrum
Established: 2015
Hopes to Win Grant to: Hire a dedicated marketing specialist to increase gift box sales, in-store sales and website sales.
Mathnasium of Chattanooga (tvfcu8)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owner: Alex Guppy
Established: March 2018
Hopes to Win Grant to: Purchase six new computer workstations to accommodate increased demand for Mathnasium@Home lessons.
Outdoor Lighting Perspectives (tvfcu9)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owner: Joe Bozich
Established: January 2012
Hopes to Win Grant to: Increase marketing budget for Atlanta so we can get more sales and add another technician and another designer.
Peak Performance Inc (tvfcu10)
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Owner: Denise Rice
Established: 2016
Hopes to Win Grant to: Create augmented reality videos for workforce to learn skills for future jobs.
Potter’s Plumbing (tvfcu11)
Location: Cleveland, Tenn.
Owners: Loren and Kristy Potter
Established: 2011
Hopes to Win Grant to: Finish shop.
Treetop Hideaways (tvfcu12)
Location: Flintstone, GA
Owners: Enoch and Hannah Elwell
Established: December 2014
Hopes to Win Grant to: Create templated design’s and engineering plans for building our next treehouse this winter, while building a foundational model that can be used for future treehouse. We are already committed to moving forward with this, but additional funds will allow us to make a more adaptable model that makes future treehouse much easier and cost effective to build.