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North Carolina Small Business Center Network Names Winners of Inaugural ‘Startup Showdown’ Competition
Statewide initiative engaged more than 300 applicants and 17 finalists from across North Carolina, awarding $60,000 in startup funding through the N.C. Community College System’s Small Business Center Network
RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After a rigorous, months-long training and pitch competition, the North Carolina Small Business Center Network (SBCN) announced Rinse-A-Poo, Victorious Wellness, and The Gilded Lantern as the first-, second- and third-place winners, respectively, of the state’s inaugural SBCN Startup Showdown.
This statewide entrepreneurship accelerator brought together 17 finalists competing for a share of $60,000 in unrestricted startup funding. The process included intensive business training and coaching, a “Shark Tank”-style Pitch Day event, public voting, and evaluation by a panel of business and entrepreneurship leaders.
The winners were announced during an invite-only awards celebration in Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 17, attended by Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt, N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) Acting President and CEO Dr. Monty Sullivan, and other state and local leaders.
The SBCN is one of the nation’s largest state-funded small business assistance programs, operating through all 58 North Carolina community colleges and serving all 100 counties. The Startup Showdown – the first statewide entrepreneurship accelerator of its kind launched through the state’s 58 community college Small Business Centers – was made possible through funding by the Wells Fargo Foundation and the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation.
“Entrepreneurs are driving innovation and economic growth in communities across North Carolina, and we’re proud to support programs that help turn promising ideas into thriving businesses,” said Juan Austin, senior vice president of philanthropy and community impact at Wells Fargo. “The Startup Showdown is creating new opportunities for founders to access capital, guidance and networks that can help accelerate their success and strengthen local economies.”
First-place ($30,000) winner Dan Spangler, founder of Rinse-A-Poo, received support through the Coastal Carolina Community College Small Business Center. Spangler said Thursday that the Startup Showdown experience has already helped him build valuable connections across the state and prepare his business for its next stage of growth.
“The Startup Showdown was worth every hour I put into it. The coaching sharpened my pitch, but the real value was the ‘room.’ Between the instructors and the other cohort members, I got asked questions that made my product better,” said Spangler. “Taking first place means more than the check, though the check matters. That funding gets Rinse-A-Poo from prototype to production, into the hands of the kennel and daycare operators who have been asking when they can buy one.”
