By John Brice
Correspondent
LaFayette native Addie Moultrie at only nine years old recently won the Auburn Ideas Jam startup competition as the owner of her Addie’s Crazy Cones business on Tuesday, September 26th of 2023.
Competing as the only child in the event, Addie’s snow cone venture was awarded a $1,000 check as the grand prize in a contest which according to the official webpage for the Auburn Ideas Jam “helps ideas and early-stage businesses grow. This is a low-barrier competition with no business plan or slide deck required. Individuals still at the idea phase or businesses that are pre-revenue and/or pre-product are strongly encouraged to apply. The competition is open to both college students and community members residing in East Alabama. The slate of competitors will be divided into separate pitch booths, with several teams competing at each booth.”
Auburn University sponsored the event through its Harbert College of Business project the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship which in a description on its official website states that it “combines outreach programming and academic studies in the area of family business. Efforts are directed at being responsive and proactive to the needs of family businesses, and to students interested in studying the dynamics of families in business.”
Addie is a fourth grader at Chambers Academy who is well known in the community through her snow cone stand’s recent participation in LaFayette Main Street’s inaugural “Movie Night Under the Stars” event showing of the classic 1993 film “The Sandlot”. Hospitality runs in the family with Addie’s parents Chad and Jessie Moultrie being the owners of local food truck favorite Rollin’ Rackz Bar-B-Que.
This past spring Addie embarked on her first entrepreneurial endeavor by signing up local residents to employ her services in loading up their yards with pre-filled plastic eggs containing candy and custom notes for their children and grandchildren to find on egg hunts Easter morning. Using the proceeds from her Easter venture, Addie was able to pay her own way for summer camp.
News of Addie’s victory found welcome reception from community institutions whom she has impacted such as LaFayette Main Street who announced via their official facebook page “Addie Moultrie WON!!!! This young entrepreneur from LaFayette participated with the Auburn Ideas Jam this evening and won!! She pitched her Snow Cone Business alongside 66 other contestants and took home a check to support her business growth and entrepreneurs spirit!
LaFayette Main Street is so proud of you Addie and know you will do great things!”
Chambers Academy posted via their official facebook page as well “Congratulations to our very own, Addie Moultrie! This 4th grade entrepreneur competed alongside 66 others at the Auburn Ideas Jam yesterday, pitching her business idea for ‘Addie’s Snow Cones’. We are incredibly proud of this young lady and look forward to seeing her grow.”