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The 2026 Fayette Pitch Contest Finals bring a Shark Tank-style showdown to the McIntosh High School Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (Nov. 12, 2026) — A veteran who uses sheep to keep Georgia’s solar farms running. A tech founder getting home care caregivers hired in minutes instead of weeks. A marketplace that turns good grades into real-world rewards. On Thursday, Nov. 19, these founders and two others will take the stage at the McIntosh High School Auditorium to pitch live for prize packages worth tens of thousands of dollars, including a first-place package valued at more than $30,000.
The finals of the 2026 Fayette Pitch Contest, StartUp Fayette’s signature annual event, run from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Doors, food trucks, and networking open at 4:00 p.m., with pitches beginning at 5:00 p.m. Each finalist gets five minutes to make their case, then faces six minutes of questions from a panel of judges. The audience gets a say too, voting live for the Audience Choice Award.
The finals are sponsored by Georgia Power and presented by StartUp Fayette in collaboration with Jason Hunter Design, Launch Fayette, and the Fayette Chamber of Commerce.
Meet the 2026 finalists
- Darnell Dugger, Acre & Herd Ranch: A veteran-owned operation that uses grazing sheep to maintain Georgia’s solar farms while raising pasture-raised lamb you can trace to the field.
- Alexis McCully, Hop’N Go Tours: Guided food and sightseeing bus tours that turn Fayette County into a weekend destination.
- Alfonza Walker, WeVoro: A credential wallet that gets home care caregivers ready to hire in minutes instead of weeks.
- Glen VarnHagen, Fur Friends Fotography: Fine-art dog portraits that capture a pet’s true personality.
- Regnault Sanders, Schoolconomy: A gamified rewards marketplace where good grades earn students real-world rewards.
Meet the judges
Deciding the winners is a panel with experience building companies at every scale: Peter Harrison, co-founder of high-density data center company Colovore and a former infrastructure leader at Google, eBay, and Netflix; Tyler Runyon, Destination and Economic Development Director for the City of Peachtree City and Visit Peachtree City; and Sheri Waynick, founder and franchisor of Peachtree City-based women’s clothing brand Lizard Thicket.
“Every one of these founders took a risk most people only think about,” said Jason Hunter Bass, co-chair of StartUp Fayette. “Nov. 19 is our chance as a community to show up for them and prove that big ideas really do start here in Fayette County.”
“Just making the finals has already connected us with people who believe in what we’re building,” said Darnell Dugger, founder of Acre & Herd Ranch. “Winning would help us grow the flock and get more Fayette-raised lamb onto local tables.”
Come hungry, bring a friend
Admission is free. The Mad Greek food truck and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice will be on site with food available for purchase. Reserve your seat at launchfayette.org/pitch-contest.
Prize packages are made possible by more than a dozen local and regional businesses: Launch Fayette, Kugarand Capital Holdings, FM Labs, the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Test Pilot Creative, Sit Right Productions, Cote Media, Leticia Andrade Photography, ActionCOACH, Jason Hunter Design via Pixel Partner Digital, Heritage Financial Partners, SEED (Select Entrepreneurs Eating Dinner), and Woodhouse Spa.
About StartUp Fayette
StartUp Fayette is an initiative of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce committed to supporting local entrepreneurs through education, networking, and opportunities to grow. The monthly series and annual Pitch Contest connect founders with the resources, mentors, and exposure they need to turn ideas into thriving businesses.
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