Top prize of $750 went to Deborah Matz, owner of Benequant, a business that consolidates medical records enabling self-insured organizations to minimize health insurance costs. Mark Rittle, owner of Peapod Homes, which offers a design concept that achieves energy use reductions, took the $500 second place award and the $250 people's choice award.

"Elevator Pitch" contestants vie to sell their business concepts to investors in the time span of an elevator ride. They are evaluated on clarity of business idea, potential for monetary return and overall presentation.

The Entrepreneur's Connection was sponsored by the Business Assistance Center and the City of Green Bay. Partners in the Business Assistance Center are: Advance Division of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Center for Entrepreneurship; SCORE, Counselors for America's Small Business; University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Small Business Development Center; Urban Hope Entrepreneur Center; Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp.; Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network; and Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership.