Budding apparel company stands out at Las Vegas entrepreneur competition

Medin Gebrezgier and Jonathan and Cesar Santos of Revive Brand Co. celebrate their victory at the Get Started competition designed for entrepreneurs and small-business owners at the Palms on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017.

Long gone are the days when Revive Brand Co. — founded by young entrepreneurs in an east valley garage seven years ago — produced “ugly bags and a couple of shirts” that family members and friends only bought because they loved their creators.

In the time since the company’s inception, Medin Gebrezgier, and brothers Jonathan and Cesar Santos, have developed their craft, appeared on national television, and are making a push to expand the company and share their positive Wake Up and Win mantra that goes beyond the company’s apparel products.

Get Started Las Vegas

Medin Gebrezgier and Jonathan and Cesar Santos of Revive Brand Co. celebrate their victory at the Get Started competition designed for entrepreneurs and small-business owners at the Palms on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. Launch slideshow »

And on Thursday night they were handed the $20,000 grand prize as confetti fell at the Get Started Las Vegas event at the Palms’ Rain Nightclub, where the heads of six local businesses, or businesses-to-be, pitched their concepts to a panel of judges.

Before the contest kicked off, the entrepreneurs were available to those in attendance to present their products and ideas.

That was perhaps less nerve-racking than when they stood before the five panelists and sold their vision to them while seconds on the timer — set to 2 1/2 minutes — ticked down. A brief question-and-answer period followed each presentation.

There was Maria Haro Salgado, who, along with her family, has taken on her since-deceased father’s multigenerational family business of artisanal Mexican footwear. So, they started “Artesanias Mi Pueblo” when a longtime customer of Salgado’s father shared a story about how leather shoes she’d bought from him had been so comfortable and long-lasting.

Tiffanny Goldston, 40, wants to open Hyde Park Salon LV, an upscale location that would specialize in ethnic hairstyles — whether it be braiding or pressing — of clientele who may have issues being accommodated at other businesses. “There’s this gap and there’s this huge area of opportunity where women of color can’t go to the salons that create those experiences.”

Revive Brand Co.

The founders of Revive Brand Co. from left Medin Gebrezgier, Jonathan Santos and his brother Cesar Santos pose for a photograph in their garage workshop in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 17, 2017. Launch slideshow »

What would opening a business mean to Goldston? “The minute that I can open those doors and said that I did it, I feel like it’s going to make my son proud and it’s just going to be a culmination of all the things that I’ve been working towards.”

Bo Warburton presented “blnqr Inc.,” a software company that provides a “playful experience” to collect and analyze data that would help users learn about customers, employees, friends and themselves.

Justin Norfleet with “Escape On Demand” is looking to bring portable escape rooms to gatherings, whether it be places of employment or events, so participants can be entertained or build a sense of team.

Jimi Bowers wants to expand his video company, BizVid Business Video Production, which specializes in creating visual aids for companies to promote their business.

For the five who didn’t win, the fourth-annual “Get Started Las Vegas” provided them an opportunity to learn and possibly talk to business leaders in attendance.

Derrick Hill, vice president of Cox Business, which heads the event, called it an “exciting project” that provides participants ideas on how to succeed. Prior to Thursday’s final round, 50 participants had been selected.

When Revive — whose core values include commitment to excellence, confidence, charity and “young at heart” — was announced the winner, Jonathan Santos and Gebrezgier threw their hands in the air as they took center stage to pick up their check. They were then joined by the panel, Cesar Santos, friends and family and posed for photos.

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