Winners Announced: Jaylon Smith’s MEI Indiana Showcase When: July 12, 2019

Above: Momma’s Boy Creations’ teenage entrepreneur Dazhon Ware with Jaylon Smith

“We had 70 applicants and a lot of those applicants were from Fort Wayne, Indiana,” said Fort Wayne’s own Jaylon Smith, Dallas Cowboys linebacker and entrepreneur about his first Minority Entrepreneurship Institute showcase that called for entrepreneurs to apply for capital investment.

The Top 5 finalists pitched their companies to a group of judges, including Smith, at Parkview Health Field (Suite Level), from Indiana cities South Bend (Hurry Home), Indianapolis (DeliverEnd), and, naturally, Fort Wayne (Traction Athletic Performance, Paul’s Place, and DB Magnificent Events).  “[MEI] is just about impacting the entire state.  And we are representing multiple cities so I’m thankful.”  He continued.  “We’re going to have it in cities throughout the country.  Whenever we have the Indiana showcase, it will be the somewhere here [in Fort Wayne].”

In front of a crowd of 150 attendees, including minority youth representatives, three entrepreneurs were awarded $200,000 (split three ways), along with business consulting: Jada Mclean’s financial tech firm Hurry Home, Dre Muhammad’s athletic training business Traction, and Nick Turner’s DeliverEnd.

Ball State sophomore Ani’a Walker’s cupcake business Puff’s Pastries, made it to the Top 11 of the venture competition but falling short, but was still invited to the MEI Indiana showcase event to sell her confections.  Walker, who sells mostly to college students and to event attendees, said “it was huge that I was still invited [to the event].  I’m representing the females and young people…I’m only 19 years old.  It feels really good that he still believed in me to [invite me] here with all of this opportunity.”

Jaylon Smith (middle) with MEI Indiana showcase winners: Jada Mclean (on Smith’s left), Nick Turner (on Smith’s right), and Dre Muhammad (on Turner’s right)