VIP Academy and W.S. Hutchings College and Career Academy senior and student entrepreneur Mikayla Whitehead earned second place and $5,000 in the Georgia Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneurship Experience (FLEX) Competition with her self-care business Brittinique – Be Unique on Thursday, April 13, 2023. The entrepreneur advanced to the state competition after winning the Bibb County FLEX Competition last month.

Mikayla pitched her business model and proposal before a panel of state judges in Fitzgerald, Ga., on Thursday. As runner-up, Mikayla received $5,000 seed money for her business, a scholarship to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), and a scholarship to Wiregrass Technical College. She also won $5,000 seed money for her business as the winner of the Bibb County FLEX Competition.

Brittinique (Be Unique)’s mission is to distribute organic beauty products and candles for all. The business helps enhance customers’ beauty and mental state with natural and soothing products, according to its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/brittiniqueUnique. 

This is the first year the Bibb County School District and the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce were selected to participate in the 2022-23 Georgia FLEX competition. The goal of Georgia FLEX is to create prosperity and revitalize rural entrepreneurial ecosystems by educating students on the rewards, sacrifices, and processes incurred in establishing small businesses. Throughout the yearlong competition process, a combination of educational guidance, incentives, and mentor opportunities inspires students to launch their successful small businesses, eventually leading to a more vibrant, robust local economy. The Bibb County FLEX program is supported by the Griffith Foundation and the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority.

Last fall interested students attended information sessions about the Bibb County FLEX Program. Based on written business proposals, 10 student businesses were selected by a panel of judges to advance to the next round of competition and mentorship. Students in these top 10 businesses participated in a pop-up shop event at 7^th Street Salvage in February, allowing community members to learn more about their businesses and shop on site. The next round of student presentations was made in early March, with three student-owned businesses advancing to the final round of the competition. The final round of competition on March 15 included "Shark Tank" style presentations before a panel of judges and community members. The winning student-owned business received $5,000 in startup funds from the Griffith Foundation and advanced to the Georgia FLEX Competition.