Here Are The Entrepreneurs Selected As The 2017 Bears' Lair Finalists

The Top 6 businesses were selected from a group of 21 Bears’ Lair semi-finalists on Tuesday (March 21st) by local business community judges. Chair Diane Richard announced the finalists on stage at the Showcase event at The Venue, where contestants had that opportunity to display the best of their businesses. Three of the finalists are innovation based businesses, and the other three finalists have a focus on Goods and Services.

The 2017 Innovation Stream finalists are: Dock HitchHinge, Lab Improvements and Mont Pellier for the Innovation Stream. The finalists for the Goods & Services Stream include That Dam Tea (TreeWell Limited), Loch, and Ship Shape Service.  

Since the inception of the Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition, $120,000 in cash and business support services has been made available to contestants. This year, finalists are competing for more than $45,000 in cash and business support services.

2017 Bears Lair Finalists on stage at the Bear' Lair Semi-Finalist Showcase at The Venue on March 21st, 2017. From left to right: That Dam Tea (TreeWell Limited), Loch, Ship Shape Service, Mont Pellier, Lab Improvements and Dock HitchHinge.

“We had such a strong and talented group of entrepreneurs this year—regardless of tonight’s outcome, everyone here is a winner,” says Chair Diane Richard. “Every Bears’ Lair contestant has used the entrepreneurial competition to take their business to the next level."

Bears’ Lair invites everyone to come to the finale event on April 25th at The Venue. The finale event will expose the finalists to a cross-examination, challenging questions and feedback by the judges before a live audience at The Venue. The selected finalists’ presentations will be scored based on innovation, commercialization, diversification, business plan quality and the benefit to the local economy, and two final 2017 winners will be selected.

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