Community Investment Collaborative

The U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting pitch submissions for its Patriot Pitch Competition, part of the Freedom 250 initiative celebrating America's 250th Anniversary. 🇺🇸
Small businesses that are innovating in their industry are encouraged to apply. Selected finalists will compete in a live pitch event in Washington, D.C., with a $1 million prize pool on the line. 🏆

Submission deadline: June 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET ⏰
Top semifinalists will be announced the week of July 4th. Visit https://preview.sba.gov/freedom-250/ to find your local District Office submission link and learn more about eligibility requirements.

Freedom 250 - Small Business Administration Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary For 250 years, small businesses have powered innovation, created opportunity, and strengthened local communities. Main Street Builds America – and through Freedom 250, SBA is honoring that legacy while investing in the next generation of builders, makers, ...

If marketing your business has been on your mind lately, this year’s Piedmont Ascent Business Conference is definitely one to have on your radar ✨

Hosted by the, this year’s conference is focused on marketing, sales, and business growth strategies for entrepreneurs.

Whether you’re looking for new ways to reach your audience, strengthen your brand, or learn directly from local experts and business owners, this is such a valuable opportunity to connect and grow alongside other entrepreneurs in our region 💛

And of course, we can’t wait for the live Piedmont Pitch competition featuring local businesses from across the area!

➡️ Learn more and register here:https://loom.ly/J5312jU

🗓️ We're less than 2 weeks away from Piedmont Ascent Business Conference!

Don't miss your chance to learn, connect, and grow with fellow entrepreneurs in this full-day educational experience. With just $25, you'll gain access to exclusive marketing and sales presentations and sessions taught by local experts, including an entrepreneur-led keynote panel featuring representatives from successful local businesses such as Crutchfield and Gearhart's, numerous opportunities to network and connect, all culminating in our live Piedmont Pitch competition featuring 6 local entrepreneurs competing for their chance to win up to $15,000 to fund their business!

➡️ Tickets are still available for just $25. To register and see the full conference agenda, visit https://loom.ly/J5312jU
Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Thank you for your continued support and for being in the room! 💚 We are incredibly grateful to support and serve local owners alongside you all.

13 years of the Crowdfunded Pitch Night with the Tom Tom Foundation, and this year reminded us what's possible when a community shows up for its entrepreneurs. 💛

Congratulations to Crowd's Choice winners Tala and Fares Habbab (hobski) and Grand Prize winner Troy Robinson (Eat Better Today), who took home $10,000, with $5,000 from CIC and $5,000 from Black Ambition, a nonprofit founded by Pharrell Williams. In total, over $16,000 was distributed to local entrepreneurs that evening. We are so proud of every single finalist. 🙌 Learn more at tomtomfoundation.org/post/2026-pitch-night-finalists-announced,

Big congratulations to Mary Crenshaw of Michelle's Soul Food ! What started as a food truck is now a full sit-down restaurant in Charlottesville. So well deserved, Mary, we can't wait to see the doors open! 🎉🍽️

Follow her page for grand opening updates!

We are honored to be selected as one of Atlantic Union Bank's CDFI Small Business Partnership Grant recipients. This recognition reflects the resilience and dedication of the small business owners and entrepreneurs in our community who inspire our work every day. 🏆

Thank you, Atlantic Union Bank, for your commitment to strengthening local communities and the organizations within them. And to our fellow recipients, Baltimore Community Lending, NCRC, and Carolina Small Business Development Fund, it was an honor to be in the room with you! 💙 💚

Your business idea deserves a real shot. 💡

CIC's Fall 2026 Entrepreneur Workshop is a 16-week program designed to give aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs the practical skills, mentorship, and peer community to grow with confidence.

In-person programs available in Charlottesville and Culpeper-Orange, plus virtual sessions in Southern Virginia. Scholarships available!

Applications are open now through July 3rd. Come build something great with us.

🔗 Apply at cicville.org/entrepreneur-workshop/

Cheers to year 1 and many congratulations 🥳🥳