As it came time for The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge in 2021, pandemic uncertainty still lingered. The solution? Take this game show, designed to test our contestants’ entrepreneurial mettle, into the virtual realm.

First, we built hype for the event with a zoom roundtable panel moderated by Carla Hall, featuring business experts Alexa Von Tobel, Sarah Paiji Yoo and Tristan Walker.

Several weeks after the roundtable, the 2021 Virtual Small Biz Challenge was recorded via a collaborative effort between production teams in Houston, Rochester, Portland, Philadelphia, Bridgeport and Washington D.C.

Co-Hosted by Shannon LaNier and Carla Hall, the event saw five diverse small business owners from around the country competing in real time for a chance to win prize money that would help propel their venture to the next level.