Houston City College Celebrates 31 Entrepreneurs at 2026 Business Plan Competition Awards
Houston’s next generation of business owners took an important step forward this summer as Houston City College celebrated the graduates and winners of its 2026 Business Plan Competition.
After four months of training, one-on-one advising and demanding competition milestones, all 31 participating teams graduated from the program. HCC recognized their achievement during an awards ceremony and reception held June 4, where five finalists and three one-minute video winners received a combined $30,000 in seed money.
The event marked the 19th anniversary of the HCC Business Plan Competition, one of the signature programs offered through the Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship at HCC Northwest.
KOG & Company Earns First Place and $12,000
KOG & Company, founded by Khaliah O. Guillory, received the competition’s top honor and $12,000 in seed funding.
BrainBuzzed Tutoring, Inc., led by Patience Edwards, earned second place and an $8,000 award. Cranky Carrot Juice Co., founded by Francesca Costa and Freddy Escobar, placed third and received $4,000.
Say Goodbye Corp., led by Diane King, and Sheer-Rise Consulting Services, led by Feyisetan Akeredolu, each received a $1,500 honorable mention award.
Three additional entrepreneurs received $1,000 each for their one-minute business videos:
- FreshTails Mobile Dog Grooming: Peregrine Chapman
- Curious Vibezz: DeLisa Jones
- Tyed Together Network: Tyvarion Malone
The seed money provides more than recognition. For a developing business, the funding can help cover equipment, marketing, technology, professional services or other expenses involved in turning a detailed plan into a working enterprise.
Every Team Completed the Competition
While the awards recognized several standout submissions, the 2026 program also reached a milestone worth celebrating: every team selected for the competition successfully graduated.
From February through May, the entrepreneurs attended all six required training sessions, worked individually with volunteer business advisors and met deadlines for submitting written business plans, presentation slides and one-minute videos.
The result was a 100% graduation rate among the 31 teams.
In addition to the cash awards, HCC announced approximately $117,000 in donated services and other in-kind prizes benefiting the graduating businesses. Those resources were contributed by organizations and professionals throughout Houston’s business community.
The 2026 graduating businesses and entrepreneurs were:
- Above and Beyond Clean Texas LLC, Cicely Trotter
- Barber Certified, Andrew Jarius Johnson
- Black Satin Candles LLC, Tina Phillips
- BrainBuzzed Tutoring, Inc., Patience Edwards
- Chef Cassi’s Table, Cassandra Faust
- Clean Soles, Tracey Scott
- Cranky Carrot Juice Co., Francesca Costa and Freddy Escobar
- Cruise Baddie LLC, Christine Veal
- CSLand Co., Stephanie Lara
- Curious Vibezz LLC, DeLisa Jones
- Divine Designs by Cindy Dayanne, Cindy Viveros
- E_Struck D Engr, Victor Cueto
- ELLA Learning Studio, Jules Hampton
- FreshTails Mobile Dog Grooming, Peregrine Chapman
- General Commercial Solutions LLC, Janie Maldonado
- Genesis Redux, Fabiola Norvell
- INNERVERSE, Inc., Angela Johnson
- Issentials LLC, Ella McGill
- KOG & Company, Khaliah O. Guillory
- Mental rEvolution Studios LLC, Tricial West
- MODOCasa, Argentino Gil
- Neon Creek, Camille Herron
- Repay Wisely, Dawn Thomas
- Say Goodbye Corp., Diane King
- Sheer-Rise Consulting Services, Feyisetan Akeredolu
- Slaate Beauty LLC, Sasha Payne
- SLS Teach LLC, Danielle D. Corbie Archey
- Texas Medical Transit, Autumn Fobbs Myers
- Think Trillions Consulting LLC, Marqueta Harris
- Timeless Spirits and Drinks LLC, Amber Ferrell-Steele
- Tyed Together Network, Tyvarion Malone
Houston Business Leaders Help Entrepreneurs Build Stronger Plans
The competition is supported by an extensive network of trainers, advisors, judges, sponsors, former contestants and community partners.
More than 30 volunteer advisors worked with the teams from late February through May, sharing professional experience and helping contestants strengthen their business strategies. Judges representing Wallis Bank, Stellar Bank, Frost Bank, Capital CDC, Huntington National Bank and the Faith In Business Foundation evaluated the competition entries.
Wallis Bank served as the platinum sponsor. Other financial and community supporters included Stellar Bank, Frost Bank, Capital CDC, Huntington National Bank, Permit Us Now, Faith In Business Foundation, Vertical Web and Ed and Aleida Rios.
The program also received support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE, the University of Houston Small Business Development Center and SURE programs, the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Business Opportunity, Liftoff Houston, the Houston Area Urban League and other regional entrepreneurship organizations.
Former HCC Business Plan Competition participants returned as advisors, speakers and trainers, allowing current contestants to learn from entrepreneurs who had already navigated the same process.
HCC Northwest Center Supports Entrepreneurs Throughout the Year
The work does not end when the awards ceremony is over.
The Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship at HCC Northwest offers year-round education, mentoring and networking for people who are exploring an idea, preparing to launch a business or working to expand an existing company.
Its mission is to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses by providing practical knowledge, resources and connections through workshops, seminars, classes, summits and competitive training programs.
In addition to the annual HCC Business Plan Competition, the center is known for the HCC Small Business Success Series and the HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling.
The center traces its beginnings to 2008, when HCC Northwest President Dr. Zachary Hodges and Dr. Maya Durnovo partnered with Newspring to establish what was originally known as the HCC Newspring Business Plan Competition. Sandra Louvier joined the effort in 2009 to launch HCC’s first entrepreneurship center, which later became the Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship.
Today, the center operates as part of Houston City College Entrepreneurial Initiatives, which coordinates business and entrepreneurship programs across the HCC system. Those offerings now include four Centers for Entrepreneurship, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, the Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, patent education, hackathons, inventathons and programs offered in Spanish.
HCC Entrepreneurial Initiatives Receives SBA Recognition
The 2026 competition celebration followed another major honor for Houston City College.
On May 6, HCC Entrepreneurial Initiatives and Associate Vice Chancellor Dr. Maya Durnovo received the U.S. Small Business Administration Houston District’s Community Partner of the Year Award. The honor was presented by SBA Houston District Director Mark Winchester and SCORE Houston President Jada Harris.
HCC alumni entrepreneurs also received recognition during the event. Dr. Beata Lerman of Sinless Treats Chocolates was named the SBA Houston District Small Business Manufacturer of the Year, while Bryant Coronado of Maps Flowers received the Houston Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year award.
The honors reflect an entrepreneurship network that has expanded significantly since HCC launched its first competition nearly two decades ago. HCC Entrepreneurial Initiatives now works with more than 50 local, regional, national and international partners.
For the 31 members of the 2026 graduating class, however, the awards ceremony represented a beginning rather than a finish line. Their next challenge is to apply the research, financial planning, coaching and feedback developed during the competition as they bring their plans into the marketplace.
As Louvier explained, the larger goal is to foster “a commitment to life-long learning, planning and continuous improvement throughout the lives of these entrepreneurs and over the progressive stages of their small businesses.”
With new plans in hand, stronger community connections and the continued support of HCC’s entrepreneurial network, the graduates now move forward with more than certificates and prizes. They leave with a clearer path for turning their ideas into businesses that can serve customers, create opportunities and contribute to Houston’s economy for years to come.
Entrepreneurs interested in training, mentoring and business-development resources can learn more about the Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship and Houston City College’s year-round entrepreneurial programs through HCC.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
