Members of the 2024 class of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur Bootcamp officially graduated from the program Thursday night during a ceremony held at MCITy, where the coveted Business Plan Competition award was presented to this year’s winner.

Pablo Diaz, executive director of the chamber, said each year members of the class who would like to pitch a business plan to a group of local business professionals vie to win the award, which also comes with a $1,500 prize. This year’s winner was Blackberry Ridge owner Ashley Cody, whose business focuses on locally sourced honey.

Diaz said the program has now graduated 11 classes and he and chamber officials are always proud of the progress the groups make throughout the bootcamp process.

“On behalf of the Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, we want to congratulate the entire class for completing this very intensive bootcamp,” Diaz said. “The training has been designed to be arduous and to confront entrepreneurs with the need to digest a lot of information quickly and have to make decisions, just like successful entrepreneurs do in real life on a daily basis.”

Diaz said it is the hope of the board that graduates will not only use their training to positively affect themselves and the local economy, but that they will later be able to rejoin the chamber as successful members.

“We are proud of them for taking this important step in their entrepreneurship journey and invite them to stay engaged with the chamber as they continue to grow,” he said. “We also want to give special congratulations to Mrs. Cody for winning the business plan competition. We hope the prize she will receive can spur additional momentum for her micro business and help her grow faster.”

During Thursday’s ceremony, graduates also heard from Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr., Warren County Board of Supervisors President Kelle Barfield, who also owns a small business in Vicksburg, and 2020 Business Plan Competition winner Kendra Reed.

This year’s class included Tara Goodman, who plans to open an assisted living facility; Stephanie Preston and Joshua Shirey, Run Rabbit Run Treats; Cassandra Wilson; Katrina Williams, Katrina’s Candles; Will Halpin, Mississippi Pickers Auction House; Katherine Murray, Katherine’s Kleaning and Kreations; LaKesha Harrison Screws, Harrison Healthcare Solutions, Binnacle Education Group; Katrina Williams, Be Positively Better; Ronny Braswell, Down South Construction; Ashley Cody, Blackberry Ridge; Mary Catherine Mullen, Mississippi Roots Salon; Kristy Brent; and Orlon Smith, Ideal Training and Security.