From gumbo to ice cream, these Topeka entrepreneurs walked away winners in pitch contest

Keishera Lately, Topeka Capital-Journal

Updated Wed, Dec 6, 2023, 9:53 AM 3 min read

This pitch competition centered on creating an opportunity for all.

And creating the opportunity for everyone to experience a gourmet comfort dish is what first-place winner Chef Lamona Scroggins will focus on.

The Greater Topeka Partnership and GO Topeka had an Equity and Opportunity Pitch Competition on Thursday to let small business owners present their products to three local judges. They were competing for a portion of a $38,000 prize pool.

Lamona Scroggins, left, and Nicole Malone, middle, stand with Glenda Washington, chief equity and opportunity officer for the Greater Topeka Partnership. Scroggins and Malone were awarded $15,000 Thursday for Chef Lamona's dining and catering business.

Second chance leads to first-place prize

Scroggins joined forces with business partner Nicole Malone, and “fine dining in a truck” became a reality on Sept. 26, The Capital-Journal reported in 2020.

Since then, the business has grown rapidly with charcuterie boards, drop-off and full-service catering. Now, the business has a chance to place its locally loved gumbo in grocery stores.

Scroggins participated in last year's pitch contest but didn't place. She said she's confident in her product, and that's why she returned.

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"We believe in our product," Scroggins said. "We believe in what we're selling, and the goal is to get it out there and we're not going to stop until we do it."

Scroggins secured $15,000 from Thursday's the pitch contest to make that expansion into stores possible. Scroggins told The Capital-Journal one of the first things money will be put toward is packaging and getting FDA approval.

Chef Lamona will offer chicken and sausage gumbo; a shrimp, chicken and sausage option; as well as a vegetarian option. The plan is for her frozen gumbos to be taken home and prepared according to directions, making her coveted creole cuisine even more accessible.

At left, Lamona Scroggins and Nicole Malone, with Chef Lamona, answer questions about their homemade frozen gumbo idea at Thursday's GTP Equity and Opportunity Pitch Competition.

Financial, ice cream and dog treat businesses were runners-up

Competing alongside Scroggins were nine entrepreneurs and new business owners.

The second-place winner was Fatima Luthi, owner of The Grind Coaching & Consulting. Luthi was awarded $10,000 for a new mobile app for her consulting business.

"I'm very proud for our company, ourselves, those that support us," Luthi told The Capital-Journal. "In the end, we couldn't be more thankful for the support that Greater Topeka Partnership offers."

Third-place winner Esteban Polanco was awarded $8,000 for his Paletas Royal ice cream, a Mexico-inspired sweet treat.

Jaime Davis, owner of Topeka Treats, was awarded $5,000 for fourth place. Her business is a dog treat bakery.