Caroline's Cheese Straws Wins Idea Accelerator Prize

Caroline's Cheese Straws, a craft cheese straw company built on a family recipe, won $2,500 at the first fall UGA Entrepreneurship Idea Accelerator. The event took place Oct. 7 at the Mahoney Entrepreneurship Hub. Marketing and entrepreneurship student Caroline Kersey launched the brand in 2024 to buy her first car. She now supplies straws to catering companies, and they are also sold at gift and specialty shops across Georgia. Judges praised her strategic growth and marketing skills. Second place went to Ashreeti Beauty, created by Ashreeti Sharma, which offers hair consultations before salon coloring. Third place went to LOCUS, a medical school application coaching service founded by Aniket Talanki. Other teams presenting included GoalShare, Last Load Junk Removal, Startblock, and My Music Map. The Idea Accelerator is a four-week business boot camp and serves as a first step for student entrepreneurs. The program runs two cohorts each fall and spring semester and is open to UGA students and members of the Athens community.

Via Athens CEO: https://athensceo.com/news/2026/10/cheese-straw-startup-earns-extra-cheddar-idea-accelerator/