Ahajanay Bolden, owner of Bethel Bliss Health & Wellness (Washington & Belhaven locations), was the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship’s (NACCE) Entrepreneur of the Year.
Ahajanay, a client of the Beaufort County Community College’s Small Business Center (SBC) and a graduate of the college’s Natural Hair Care program, recently won the SBC’s Seed & Sow Pitch Contest, qualified to pitch at the national level for NACCE, and took home the $10,000 award from NACCE’s Annual Conference in San Diego this past week.
Bolden plans to use her award to purchase additional equipment, inventory, and to up-fit her new location at Balance in Motion Gym in Belhaven, N.C., to expand her services there.
Jack Dugan, director of Beaufort CCC’s Small Business Center, said, “Ahajanay and all of my clients at the Small Business Center inspire me every day. Entrepreneurial spirit is strong here in Eastern North Carolina and we’re honored to be part of this. It is a great example of how continuing education and curriculum programs work together for the good of our communities. The NACCE Everyday Entrepreneur Program, generously sponsored by Stuart and Chip Weismiller and coordinated by Lydia Parez Kavanaugh, has been a wonderful partner in helping to promote entrepreneurship in our rural service area.”
Bolden added, “I can’t thank Jack, NACCE Everyday Entrepreneur Program, and the Small Business Center enough for all of the help & support in making me the entrepreneur I am today.”
Bethel Bliss Health & Wellness offers facials, massage, head spa treatments, and corrective skincare with locations in Washington and Belhaven, N.C.
Along with Bolden’s success, Beaufort CCC was runner-up for NACCE’s 2025 Entrepreneurial College of the Year Award, placing the college as a top institution in the nation for fostering innovation and empowering students to pursue entrepreneurial success. The success is an acknowledgement of hard work of Jack Dugan and SBC program assistant Katelyn Thomas. Over the past few years, the program has incorporated the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program into its workshops, including giving out copies of Who Owns the Ice House? Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur, helping to build confident and creative mindsets in the small business community.
Find upcoming free workshops for current and prospective small business owners.