A tortilla-forming machine, a line of Haitian-inspired sauces and a boutique wedding design company were among the growth plans presented by local entrepreneurs at the conclusion of the TD Bank Start-up Accelerator Program.
The Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) at FIU hosted the program’s final pitch event August 12 at the Lafe Allen Memorial Public Library in the City of North Miami Beach. Participants presented their business pitches to TD Bank representatives, elected officials, community partners and FSBDC at FIU consultants, outlining their market opportunities, financial projections and funding needs. This helped them refine pitches and proposals for banks and investors.
The presentations wrapped up an eight-week hybrid program sponsored by TD Bank. Designed for established service businesses in Miami-Dade County, the accelerator provided workshops and individual consulting focused on business planning, marketing, customer acquisition, operations, financial readiness and the use of artificial intelligence and other digital tools.
“One thing is to take the class; another thing is to apply the learning,” FSBDC at FIU consultant Adriana Madrinan told participants before the presentations.
The pitches reflected businesses at different stages of growth. TBK Food Trucks, an eight-year-old Mexican catering company with three food trucks, sought a $10,000 loan to purchase a tortilla-forming machine, add inventory and strengthen its digital marketing. Founder Alejandra Sandoval said the equipment could increase production from about 500 tortillas in 6 ½ hours to 1,400 an hour.
Big Yard Restaurant, a family-operated Miami Gardens business, requested $50,000 to support marketing, catering equipment, staffing, events and new booking systems. Owner Delfena Wellington, who entered the restaurant industry after 35 years as a cosmetologist, credited the workshop with helping her navigate a new field.
“We all needed this, and we’re here to learn and grow our businesses,” she said. “I’m learning from everyone else’s presentations too.”
The judge’s questions often returned to financial fundamentals: whether the companies had sufficient capacity to grow, how proposed investments would affect margins and whether owners could clearly distinguish between debt and equity financing.
“You must embrace the numbers,” said Ray Juncosa, one of the FSBDC consultants and judge of the competition. “At the end of the day, you need to understand that to be able to project correctly and give your business the opportunity it needs to succeed.”
Participants completed a funder-ready pitch deck, a one-page executive summary and, when applicable, financial projections and a breakdown of how requested funds would be used. They also received structured feedback to refine their funding strategies and determine their next steps. Given the new environment, each session has an AI-related tool or deliverable that businesses could incorporate into better managing and marketing their businesses.
To learn more about the SBDC at FIU, visit their website.