Two Businesses Move Forward With GEGEC Support

In June, Community News reported that 27 applicants had stepped forward for the Greater East Grand Economic Council’s 2026 Business Grant Challenge. Since then, the field has narrowed considerably, and two businesses have been selected to receive funding to help turn their plans into reality.

The original challenge offered $50,000 in grant funding. After several rounds of review, however, the Grants Committee found itself with a difficult decision. Rather than choose just one proposal, the committee recommended awarding grants to two businesses. The GEGEC Board approved the recommendation, bringing the total awarded through this year’s challenge to $60,000.

The selection process began with 27 applications. Eight applicants moved on to the next round and prepared presentations for the Grants Committee. Four finalists then participated in a further round of questions and clarification before the final two were selected.

The two businesses receiving support are Jacob Williams Electric and Jack’s Walkin’ Tacos.

Bringing Electrical Services Closer to Home

Jacob Williams is a Master Electrician with two decades of experience. With the support of the grant, Williams plans to build Jacob Williams Electric and provide licensed electrical services throughout the Greater East Grand region.

Williams already has longstanding ties to the area. He owns a camp here and hopes to build the business to a level that will allow him to make the Greater East Grand region his permanent home.

For a rural region, access to essential services can sometimes be a matter of geography. The Grants Committee identified electrical work as an especially important gap, noting the limited access to licensed and insured electrical services in the area.

"This is a service people need," said Christopher Hinshaw on behalf of the Grants Committee. "Jacob has the experience and licensing to provide it, and we felt this was a good opportunity to help him build that business here." For homeowners, camp owners, and businesses across the region, it means one essential service that no longer requires looking outside the area.

Williams also hopes to grow the business enough to hire an apprentice within the next year or two, creating an opportunity for someone else to learn the trade while helping meet the region’s need for skilled electrical workers.

A New Food Business With Local Roots

Angelina and Charles Jackman will use their grant to launch Jack’s Walkin’ Tacos, a mobile food business that will operate seasonally throughout the Greater East Grand region. Angelina Jackman lives in Amity, and the business will operate throughout the Greater East Grand region.

The Jackmans are not starting entirely from scratch. They have already tested the concept at regional events, including serving thousands of meals during the 2024 solar eclipse. Their plans now include expanding the business and creating several local jobs.

The Jackmans also hope to make employment part of their community impact by prioritizing people who face barriers to employment, including through partnerships with regional vocational rehabilitation programs.

"This wasn't just an idea on paper," Hinshaw said. "They'd already tested it, and they'd clearly thought through the day-to-day logistics of running the business. That preparation, along with their commitment to hiring locally, is what stood out to the committee."

For the Grants Committee, the combination of experience, planning, and community benefit made both proposals difficult to leave behind.

An Investment in What Comes Next

The two businesses are very different. One addresses an essential service gap, while the other brings a new food and employment opportunity to the region. What they share is a demonstrated commitment to making their businesses work here.

Twenty-seven applicants brought their ideas forward. Two will now have the opportunity to take the next step with GEGEC’s support.

For Williams, that next step means bringing electrical services to the region. For the Jackmans, it means building a business that can create jobs while serving communities close to home.

That is the kind of investment the Business Grant Challenge was created to encourage: supporting people who see an opportunity here, are willing to put in the work, and want to build something that becomes part of the community.