Friendly Goods Company, a Chestertown, MD-based skin and body care company founded by Samuel and DeLia Shoge, was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Ratcliffe Foundation’s Shore Hatchery Program at Salisbury University.
“Participating in Shore Hatchery was an exhilarating experience,” said Sam Shoge, Friendly Goods Company’s co-founder. “We were part of an amazing cohort of entrepreneurs who are doing truly innovative and exciting things in their respective fields. We’re thrilled our small business stood out among the judges.”
Shore Hatchery is a biannual entrepreneurship pitch competition established by the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation at Salisbury University’s Perdue School of Business. The goal of the program is to reward individuals for their entrepreneurial efforts in the creation and growth of businesses with the potential of positively impacting regional employment within three years.
Thirteen businesses–out of 36 total applicants–were invited to pitch in the 20th round of Shore Hatchery. Judges determined how to allocate $100,000 in total funding based on interactions during an exhibition and a one-minute pitch.
In addition to funding, winners and participants also receive mentoring support from prominent business leaders who serve on the program’s board of directors.
“DeLia and I are especially excited about the business mentorship we’ll receive,” said Sam. “This is our first foray into operating a product-based business so gaining insight on how to effectively scale from someone who does this for a multi-billion dollar company is a game-changer.”
Sam and DeLia will be mentored by Chris Perdue, Vice President of E-commerce at Salisbury, MD-based Perdue Farms.
About Shore Hatchery
The Perdue School of Business Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation Shore Hatchery is a bi-annual Mid-Atlantic business competition open to any Mid-Atlantic business startup. The Shore Hatchery competition is a ten-year $2 million initiative which began in 2013. Startups have the opportunity to apply for a share of $200,000 annually. The goal of the Shore Hatchery is to reward individuals for their entrepreneurial efforts in the creation and growth of businesses with the potential of positively impacting regional employment within three years.
