VALDOSTA — BridgeBuilder Education & Investments announced on Friday, June 23 the winner of its local InnovateHER Challenge competition, which is being nationally run by the Small Business Administration (SBA). A total of 11 individuals, the majority of whom are company owners, submitted business strategies that were judged on products or services that have a measurable impact on the lives of women and families, have the potential for commercialization, and fill the need in the marketplace.

 

This year’s winning business strategy was submitted by Mrs. Crystal Bennett Harris, from Charlotte, NC. Mrs. Harris is a mother of three children and the inventor of the Brauxiliary brand. She won for submitting, Brauxiliary, LLC, the Brauxiliary Hands Free Pumping Band, which is a patent pending bra attachment that turns any bra into a hands-free pumping bra. It is the most versatile hands-free pumping accessory on the market and allows a mother to customize a pumping journey that works with her life! According to Mrs. Harris, “I created the Brauxiliary Band because I didn't want to choose. I didn't want to choose between being the mom that I wanted to be and living my most productive life. I know I'm not alone, and I am so excited to help as many moms as possible customize the pumping journey that fits with their personal and family goals."

 

Mrs. Harris, a Spelman College graduate, earned the right to have her business strategy included in the second round of the SBA national competition. BridgeBuilder Education & Investments submitted the required documents to the Small Business Administration (SBA), which will select 10 finalists. If Mrs. Harris makes it among the finalists, she will be invited to travel to Washington, DC, on July 27, 2017 to compete for first, second, and third place prizes totaling $70,000. “Mrs. Harris’ business strategy really stood out amongst the field of entries since no other hands-free pumping accessory is as versatile and affords a mother as many options for hands-free pumping as the Brauxiliary Band. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 81% of mothers feed their infants breast milk, which equates to a potential 3,240,000 mothers looking for hands-free pumping options,” offered DeWayne Johnson, Co-Founder of BridgeBuilder Education & Investments.

 

“We wish Crystal the best of luck at the semi-finalist level of the competition. We are confident that she is going to do well, there and beyond!”

 

BridgeBuilder Education & Investments was selected in April 2017 to serve as a host organization for the local InnovateHER Challenge competition. Initial applications were sent to the company from various locations, including Texas, New York, Florida, and Georgia. “In addition to meeting the challenge criteria, we loved that the Brauxiliary Band is Crystal’s intellectual property, making her product unique in the marketplace. We were also very impressed by Crystal’s tenacity and enthusiasm. Ultimately, we believe that Crystal’s product, reviews, presentation information, and business plan will serve as a strong candidate for the InnovateHER Challenge.” says Amanda Johnson, Co-Founder of BridgeBuilder Education & Investments.

 

The Brauxiliary Hands Free Pumping Band is currently available for only $28.99 on the company website www.brauxiliary.com and is scheduled to be available on Amazon Prime by the end of June 2017. You can learn more about entrepreneur and inventor, Crystal Bennett Harris, and the Brauxiliary Hands Free Pumping Band also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ihcG1iAP6c, @BrauxiliaryBand on Twitter, @brauxiliary on Instagram and Facebook.