2026 Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition Awards $10,000

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Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition awards $10,000 to local entrepreneurs

SAFFORD, Ariz. (July 27, 2026) – Entrepreneurs pitched their business ideas Thursday during the 2026 Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition at the Lee Little Theater on the campus of Eastern Arizona College, competing for $10,000 in local prize money and the opportunity to advance to the statewide finals.

Hosted by the Graham County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Eastern Arizona College and the Small Business Development Center, the competition brought together entrepreneurs from across the region to present their ideas before a panel of judges and a live audience.

During the judges’ deliberation, Amanda Patterson, Executive Director of the United Way Graham and Greenlee Counties, presented the Graham County Chamber of Commerce with a $34,000 grant for the Chamber Centennial Renovation Phase II Project.

The evening concluded with the following awards:

• Crowd Favorite ($1,000): Gabriella Pena, The Fuel Bar
• Third place ($1,500): Cade and Lacey Bryce, Ginaveves Market Place
• Second place ($2,500): Mattie Bingham, SitterShare by Frankie’s Place LLC
• First place ($5,000): Brianna Dodge and Darla Dodge, Rural Food Hub

As the Graham County champion, XXX earned the opportunity to represent the community at the Moonshot Rural Arizona State Finals in the Greater Phoenix area in October, where winners from regional competitions across Arizona will compete for a $10,000 grand prize, additional cash prizes and business resources.

According to Moonshot, an Arizona nonprofit organization, the Rural Arizona Pitch Tour helps entrepreneurs develop business ideas while supporting rural communities in building entrepreneurial ecosystems that create jobs.

The local competition was made possible through a $10,000 investment from Freeport-McMoRan, which funded the event’s prize purse.

Additional sponsors included COUNTRY Financial, Valley TeleCom Group, American Southwest Credit Union and Gila Cheer.

Participants and award winners also received donated professional services from Double R Communications, Lamplight Digital, CMI, Azurite Bookkeeping and the Center for Intuitive Education to help them continue growing their businesses.

Winning trophies were donated by Trophies ‘N Tees. Several organizations, including OneAZ Credit Union, BlueCross Blue Shield Arizona, and Arizona Commerce Authority also support the statewide Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Tour.

“I was excited to sponsor this event and help other entrepreneurs realize their dreams,” said Taylor Banks, owner of Gila Cheer and president of the Graham County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

“The Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition shines a spotlight on the entrepreneurial spirit that exists throughout Graham and Greenlee Counties,” said Sean Wenham, Social Performance Manager at Freeport-McMoRan. “Our communities are full of talented people with innovative ideas, and this event provides an opportunity to connect those ideas with mentorship, resources and investment. We are grateful to Moonshot, our fellow sponsors, mentors, judges, volunteers and every entrepreneur who had the courage to step onto the stage and share their vision.”