Laura Read smiles with her cake pop display. Photos provided by Ivy Tech.

News Release

WARSAW — Laura Read has been named Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne and Warsaw’s 2024 New Venture Champion for her business So Cute Sweets on Oct. 10. She won $40,000 in capital for her business, which specializes in making deliciously tasteful and uniquely creative cake pops for any and all occasions.

With the $40,000, Read plans to open a licensed kitchen where she’ll be able to expand her production and create wholesale cake pops to share with local businesses.

Students and alumni are eligible to compete in the New Venture Competition after successfully completing a certificate from the Garatoni School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ivy Tech Fort Wayne and Warsaw. Read graduated from the entrepreneurship program in May 2024 and received the School’s annual Outstanding Student Award.

“This opens up a whole world of possibilities,” Read says. “There are so many more options now for me to make my business better for my customers. I know they’ll appreciate it just as much as I do.”

Read presented her business plan to more than 30 community professionals, who served as judges. The other finalists were Ginny Ritchie with Ginny Rose Studio, an esthetician owned studio that specializes in full body waxing, custom facials, massages and permanent makeup, and Jordan Walter-Lee Setters with Soupy, LLC., a veteran owned and operated food truck business that aims to serve its customers healthy, affordable and convenient soups and sandwiches.

“Use this as a stepping stone for what’s to come next,” 2022 New Venture Champion Javier Gasnerez III, owner of Let It Glow Detail, LLC., encouraged contestants before the pitches. “To say this [competition] had an impact on my business is a slight understatement. It had a huge impact.”

Each finalist presented for 10 minutes. After the presentations, judges were given an additional 10 minutes for a question-and-answer session. The judges had been provided the contestants’ business plans prior to the event.

The New Venture Competition began in 2011 through the vision of Dave and Mary Bear, former owners of JB Tool, Die and Engineering. ProFed Credit Union sponsored the evening’s dinner, which was prepared by the College’s Hospitality Administration program.

To learn more about the New Venture Competition and the Entrepreneurship program at Ivy Tech, request information here.