GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County ran an All-Ideas Pitch Contest at Crissey Farm in Great Barrington, awarding first prize of $1,000 to Jene Batory of Pittsfield for Berkshire Botanicals, a holistic beauty product company.

 

Second place prize of $750 went to Kasha Sancho of KTalented in Hudson, New York, which wants to expand from in-home hair extension services to a full-service salon and shop for black women's beauty products.

 

Third place of $500 went to Dalton's Valerie Conte-Mesquita with her concept for a brand called "Party Girl Mom."

 

Fan Favorite prize of $500 was awarded to AJ Bowman of Pittsfield for his new venture Boatman Shoes, making deck shoes out of cactus leather.

 

Approximately fifty community members came to support the new business ideas and many more watched as the event was simulcast on Facebook Live.

 

The Pitch Contest judges were David Isby of Townsquare Media, Carolann Strickling of Organization Ink, Kara Mikulich of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and Evaguel Rhysing of United Aircraft Technologies.