The room hummed with nervous energy as nine local small businesses prepared to step into the spotlight for the annual pitch competition hosted by The Pearland Innovation Hub and The Pearland Chamber of Commerce; offering a combined $8,750 in prize money and business consulting services.
The May 7 event showcased the entrepreneurial spirit thriving in Pearland with businesses ranging from food service to tech solutions to youth programs.
“This pitch, this award can change your life, right? Are you up for it? You ready to do it?” asked Mayor Kevin Cole, who attended alongside City Council member and local business owner Rick Fernandez, emphasizing the city’s commitment to supporting small business growth. The judges panel included Fernandez, representatives from the Pearland Innovation Hub Advisory Board, and business leaders from the Houston area.
The competition received 43 applications, with nine finalists selected to present four-minute pitches followed by three minutes of questioning by judges. The competition awarded first place $5,000 and eight hours of business advising, second place $2,500, and third place $1,250.
Jamburritos Cajun Grille Michael Brown brings the flavors of Louisiana to Pearland with a fast-casual restaurant that serves Creole flavors in approachable formats including blackened catfish, shrimp in a unique cream sauce, and his take on jambalaya in tacos and bowls. But for Brown, hospitality matters more than the menu. “My mom had nine children, she fed us with distinction with hospitality and care,” he explained, describing the DNA of his 15-month-old restaurant. Brown and his wife draw on 40 years of combined restaurant experience to create a dining experience where guests are greeted warmly, educated about Cajun and Creole cuisine, and served within 5 to 7 minutes. It’s the kind of place where customers return not just for the food, but for how they’re treated.
Easy AI Flows Ronnie Craig solves a problem every small business owner understands: too much to do, not enough time. His company creates personalized AI assistants that handle the redundant tasks that steal hours from your day. Craig, who spent 30 years in IT before launching Easy AI Flows, describes his service as giving clients “a person sitting at a desk with a desktop” who does whatever you tell them to do. He shared an example of creating a bedtime reminder for his son that delivered a personalized message about getting adequate sleep. For business owners drowning in calendar management, bookkeeping reminders, and follow-up tasks, Craig’s AI assistants start at $97 per month and run on secure, closed-loop systems.
PEOPLEfirst Talent and Retention Consulting LLC Will Kruer helps businesses hire the right people and helps professionals find the right path. After being involved in over 1,100 hiring decisions in the past decade, Kruer recognized that both sides of the employment equation struggle with the same problem: misalignment. His company created an interactive platform with coaching that helps individuals uncover their strengths and position themselves authentically in the job market. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career. I didn’t even know what pathways were available to me,” Kruer explained. Now he ensures others don’t face that same confusion. Kruer’s team has helped over 100 professionals successfully navigate career transitions while assisting over 60 organizations with their talent needs.
CoachedUp Sean Johnson-Bey created the platform he wishes he’d had as young athlete. “I was the standout in high school. I was all conference, but unfortunately, I didn’t have any colleges recruiting me. I had no college scholarships. And why? Because I didn’t know about the college recruiting process,” he explained. CoachedUp serves as “the LinkedIn of college sports,” he said, giving student athletes a credibility score, showing them which divisions they can realistically play in, and walking them step-by-step through the recruiting process. At $9.99 per month, it’s accessible to families who can’t afford personal coaches that charge thousands of dollars, helping student athletes claim their share of the millions in unclaimed athletic scholarships available each year.
Helix Realty Team Madhuri Jaju brings a scientist’s precision to commercial real estate. She said with a Ph.D. in genetics, she understands that “each one of us has unique DNA, and so is each business location.” Helix Realty Team doesn’t just find available properties; they map location infrastructure, analyze demographic data, and run financial stress tests to ensure businesses choose the right location the first time. “What I do is mapping out the location infrastructure data and serve them what-if scenarios for financial testing, stress testing,” Jaju explained. Her approach helps business owners avoid the costly mistake of being stuck in a poor location that creates “a domino effect” toward “financial disaster.” With 20 years in the industry, Jaju combines AI-powered location matching with customized business needs analysis.
Munch Craft Zubin Kuvadia and his family are on a mission to prove that healthy snacks don’t have to taste like cardboard. “Have you ever been forced to choose between a healthy snack pack that tastes like cardboard, and a delicious one that is loaded with junk?” they asked. Munch Craft sources premium cashews and peanuts from India and roasts them fresh in Houston using a precise air-roasted process that uses no oil, creating what Kuvadia describes as “a superior crunch and a smooth, dry texture.” Kuvadia’s father, who has over 40 years of experience in the food industry, meticulously crafts each bold flavor. The family-run business offers their snacks in resealable family-size bags and single-serving pouches, now available in over 12 stores across the Houston area.
Camp Perfect Febe Prado and her daughter Charlotte teach girls the life skills that somehow got left out of modern education. The mother-daughter team launched Camp Perfect after Charlotte wanted to write her soccer coach a thank-you note but didn’t know where to start. “This moment sparked a larger realization,” Febe said. “As a mom and volunteer in my church’s student ministry, I recognized that girls today are missing in general life skills.” Their faith-based program serves girls aged 10 to 14, teaching calligraphy, letter writing, etiquette, and hosting an afternoon tea where girls practice their newly learned skills. “It’s not about being perfect, but it is about growing into who God is calling you to be,” the Prados explained. With intentional activities in small class sizes limited to 15 girls, they’re creating meaningful mentorship experiences that combine real-world skills with biblical principles.
Anointed Keys Music Studio LLC Gladys Gong teaches piano to Pearland’s youngest musicians, starting with students as young as three years old. When Gong looked around the growing Pearland area seven years ago, she noticed a gap: few music programs served very young children. So she developed her own curriculum and launched Anointed Keys Music Studio, a faith-based business that now serves students at Pearland Montessori School and a location in Sugar Land. What makes Gong’s approach special is the connection she builds with families. During each 30-minute lesson, she provides videos or pictures to parents so they can see their child’s progress. She hosts two recitals annually that have become special community events. “I love my recitals. It’s a day that’s just so special for all the families. It’s very well attended in such a great chapel in the area with the grand piano and the kids see it for the first time and love it. It’s just amazing,” she shared.
Nexus Online Strategies LLC Aaron Perez and Marcee Juarez, partners in business and life, help local business owners become visible online. “Most local business owners have no idea how to market who they are or what they do,” they explained. The couple launched their agency in 2022 after recognizing that Pearland’s locally owned businesses, which make up 82% of the area’s business landscape, were being outpaced by corporations with bigger marketing budgets. Nexus offers website development, local SEO, social media management, content automation, and CRM solutions, but they always lead with strategy first. They’re developing Nexus OS, a proprietary CRM solution, and building a membership community that offers coaching, content strategy, and live support at a fraction of traditional marketing retainer costs. “Imagine having a marketing and tech specialist available to you without a $1,000 retainer every month,” they proposed, emphasizing their mission: “When small businesses win, the community wins.”
Competition Results After deliberation, as the judges announced third place for CoachedUp, second place for Camp Perfect, and first place for Munch Craft, cheers erupted from the crowd.
But it was already clear that everyone who stepped on that stage had already won something whether it was visibility, or proof that Pearland’s business community shows up for its own. The event highlighted the diverse entrepreneurial landscape in Pearland, from technology solutions and professional services to food businesses and youth programs.
Last year’s winner, Yellow Apron Bakery, provided desserts for the event and is days away from opening a new brick and mortar location, showing the impact a supportive local community has had on local business growth.
Pearland’s pitch competition doesn’t simply distribute prize money. It declares that local businesses matter, that homegrown solutions deserve investment, and that a community’s strength is measured by how fiercely it supports the people brave enough to build something from nothing.
