After heart palpitations sent him to the hospital in summer 2020, Joyson BaLisamore began thinking about ways to address what he saw as a major — and suddenly personal — problem in the Baltimore region: heart disease.

Last August, he founded Jay’s Watermelonade, a Baltimore start-up that focuses on promoting watermelon and what it says are its heart benefits as an alternative to sugary drinks. Yesterday, BaLisamore won the Baltimore County Public Library’s first small business pitch competition.

Eight other business owners joined him Wednesday evening at the library’s Randallstown branch to compete for a $1,500 top prize, along with three smaller prizes. Each small business, most of them minority- and women-owned, had four minutes to make their pitch to a panel of four judges in a “Shark Tank”-style competition and then answer judges’ questions for 90 seconds.

A nail-biting 20-minute interlude followed so that the judges could deliberate and pick winners, while the business owners could network and audience members could interact with the products.

Keirstin Jordan, owner of Mad Woman Fitness, a gym near Perry Hall dedicated to providing a woman-only space free of diet culture, leaned into this idea and started her pitch by saying, “I’ve always wanted to say this, ‘Hello, sharks.’”

Funding for the competition came through Karly Feinberg, the small-business consultant for the Baltimore County Public Library system. She herself won a grant by placing second in a pitch competition held by the Entrepreneurship & Libraries Conference.

“Being able to provide this opportunity for newer businesses just starting out, that can really use the funding to grow their business and gain traction, I think is huge,” Feinberg said.

The library’s third-place winner was Aalliyeh Clinton, who owns Monneah’s Engineered Materials, a company dedicated to creating personal-protective equipment with increased protection levels for scientists. She plans to use the $600 prize for patent, trademark and materials research. She said she takes pride in being a Baltimore-based business and has an intern from her alma mater, Morgan State University.

“I grew up here, and if we don’t give back to our community and help it grow, who will?” Clinton asked.

One of judges, Jennifer Hensel, is the founder of public speaking consultancy ElePitch and has worked with “Shark Tank” contestants, including one winner. She said her love of libraries inspired her to drive from North Carolina earlier that day to attend the competition. After the event, she talked to contestants, offering more advice.

“There’s a ton of free opportunities to learn how to build your business,” Hensel said. Community resources such as those at libraries can help a business owner start out with a strong foundation, she said.

For about five years, Baltimore County Public Libraries has offered resources to small businesses and those interested in fostering their entrepreneurial spirit.

BaLisamore — the winner — graduated from one of its popular programs called the Entrepreneur Academy last fall, and he advises small businesses to take advantage of resources in libraries and the broader community.

“Keep going, just believe in yourself,” he said. “Even if you don’t win a pitch competition, even if someone doesn’t want to buy your product — that’s happened to me.”