SALISBURY, MD—When Edwin Djampa earns his B.S. in nutritional food science from the University of Maryland, College Park, in just a few days, he will do so with an extra $30,000 — all thanks to his quest to create a better granola bar.
Djampa founded Omega 3, LLC, in 2019, to produce granola bars enriched with omega-3 fatty acids after attending a class lecture on how the American diet often lacks those essential nutrients. His vision earned him the top spot — and $30,000 in funding to grow his business — in this semester’s 18th round of the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation Shore Hatchery entrepreneurship competition at Salisbury University.
Held at the University’s new Dave and Patsy Rommel Center for Entrepreneurship at SU Downtown, the competition featured some 13 applicants from throughout the Mid-Atlantic vying for their share of $100,000 in prize money. Other winners included:
- Simple Assist Therapeutics, LLC – Rebecca Della-Rodolfa. Based in Rehoboth Beach, DE, this firm plans to produce a therapeutic apparatus for assisting mobility impaired and disabled persons with performing common tasks such as bathing and getting dressed – $25,000
- Beauty in the Scars Corp./BITS Cleaning – Elizabeth Day. This Salisbury-based business offers commercial and residential cleaning services. With a doctorate in education, Day believes in helping her employees by providing growth opportunities and job security – $20,000
- Resolved Property Solutions – DeVanna Young. This Salisbury-based, woman-led family property management business specializes in long-term, AirBnB and vacation rentals – $15,000
- Real Vibez Productions – J’kai Braboy. Based in Salisbury, this photography and videography production company focuses on expressive, cinematic imagery – $5,000
- Move and Still, LLC – Dominiece Clifton. This Baltimore-based health and wellness business aims to provide greater accessibility to tools for stress management and trauma recovery – $5,000
In addition to funding, winners and participants also receive mentoring support from the program’s board. Mentors include business leaders such as Chris Perdue of Perdue Farms, Inc.; Mike Cottingham of the Rommel Companies; Kathy Kiernan and Patricia Royak, members of SU’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business Executive Advisory Council; and Jennifer Layton of Layton’s Chance Vineyard and Winery.
This round’s winners join the program’s 88 previous award recipients, who have self-reported estimated profits of some $76,668,454 million, creating more than 638 jobs.
The Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation Shore Hatchery program was established with an initial $1 million contribution in 2013. In 2017, the Ratcliffe Foundation announced a second $1 million gift to continue the Shore Hatchery through Spring 2023. It is administered through SU’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business. Its goal: to fund entrepreneurs and have new businesses opening within six months, with the potential of employing three or more within three years.
Up to $200,000 annually is available for those applying for grants through the Shore Hatchery program. Its board of directors selects recipients based on presentations.
For more information call 410-546-4325 or visit the Ratcliffe Shore Hatchery website at www.salisbury.edu/shore-hatchery.
