Mastercard brings two impressive rookies to the TOUR Championship

The PGA TOUR has winnowed down the field for the annual TOUR Championship in Atlanta, and two exciting rookies will be making their debuts at historic East Lake Golf Club.

East Lake patrons won’t find them competing on the course, but if they’re hungry, there’s a good chance they’ll get to know them.

The recently completed Mastercard Small Biz Cup Contest canvassed the Atlanta area, looking for up-and-coming restaurants that could showcase their fare at East Lake. The contest winner was Amanda Kinsey, owner of Amanda’s BarBeeQue. Mastercard chose the winner from among six semifinalists, all of whom received financial grants to help expand their small businesses.

Kinsey will be joined at East Lake by Mastercard’s Priceless Surprise recipient, Amber Tellis, owner of Kaylee Cake Pops And More. It’s a complementary pairing: Tour Championship patrons can visit Amanda’s for their entrée and Kaylee Cake Pops for their dessert.

For entrepreneurs such as Kinsey and Tellis, showcasing their businesses at the TOUR Championship isn’t just a chance to share their food with the golf patrons. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness of their young brands while also using Mastercard’s mentoring and digital tools to set up the growth of their companies for decades to come.

Kinsey said she “wants to help reshape the way women are viewed in entrepreneurship and the barbecue industry.” Hers is the quintessential small-business story. Kinsey was a teacher for 17 years, then started grilling on Atlanta street corners to cobble together some extra money to send her son to China on a school trip. Her delicious “Ribs” sandwiches and wings quickly developed such a loyal following that Amanda’s BarBeeQue was born in 2017. The whirlwind ride isn’t lost on her.

“I started grilling on street corners,” Kinsey said. “Now I get to vend at the most beautiful golf course in Atlanta!”

At the TOUR Championship, Amanda’s menu will include its delicious pulled pork sandwiches slathered in Amanda’s BBQ sauce, the juicy, tender brisket, grilled Cajun shrimp tacos, the award-winning smoked wings, and even vegan burgers. Even those tournament patrons who haven’t yet enjoyed Amanda’s BarBeeQue might recognize Kinsey; her food has created such a sensation across Atlanta that she competed in season two of Food Network’s “Fire Masters” competition.

Like Amanda’s BarBeeQue, family also played a pivotal role in the launch of Kaylee Cake Pops And More six years ago. Born of mother and daughter baking time with then six-year-old Kaylee, this delightful confectionary has expanded into a full-service, mobile sweet experience specializing in homemade, grab-and-go desserts.

Amber Tellis, owner of Kaylee Cake Pops And More

Tellis’ delicious cupcakes range from key lime to cotton candy, and her scrumptious cake pops – imagine cake on a lollipop – were a finalist in the “Flavor of Georgia” competition. Even customers on vegan, gluten-free or sugar-free diets can enjoy Tellis’ sweet treats.

At East Lake, Tellis will be serving her Southern-inspired gourmet cupcakes and decadent dessert cups. Triple Chocolate Mousse layered with brandy-infused pecans, moist chocolate cake and topped with whipped cream and caramel? Yes, please.

“Thanks to the Mastercard Small Biz Cup Contest, my brand will be shared and showcased to so many people I wouldn’t have ever thought I would connect with,” said Tellis, whose business recently celebrated its seventh anniversary.

Tellis and Kinsey will occupy plum concession spaces at the TOUR Championship’s Peachtree Porch. They also received $10,000 grants and 10 grounds passes. The remaining four semifinalists received $2,000 grants and four grounds passes.

The Small Biz Cup Contest isn’t a one-off; Ginger Siegel, Mastercard’s North America Small Business Lead, said it’s all a part of the company’s “pledge to bring 50 million small businesses and 25 million women entrepreneurs into the digital economy by 2025.”

The exposure, grants and added sales at East Lake are important to entrepreneurs such as Kinsey and Tellis, but the real payoff comes in the personal mentorship from Siegel, and access to the company’s Digital Doors Toolkit, which helps small businesses securely expand their online operations.

As more consumers made their purchases online during the pandemic, Siegel said Mastercard saw a “critical need for small businesses to protect their operations, employees, assets and livelihood.” She noted that more than half of all cyberattacks target small businesses. Digital Doors provides the tools entrepreneurs need to operate online securely and efficiently. Siegel said research underscores that mentoring “is critical (for small businesses’ success), but only 37 percent have one.” Her goal is to fill that void.

“Through one-on-one mentorship sessions, we’re able to analyze and provide guidance on strengthening their business’s digital presence, how to accelerate growth, unique business challenges and how to navigate them, and more,” Siegel said.

Tellis said that Siegel was “direct and honest about my current digital status. She made me feel comfortable and confident that I am on the right path to becoming 100 percent digital. I learned about SEO practices, customer relation management and cybersecurity. She provided referrals for companies that will assist with my social media presence, drive more traffic to my website and enhance Google search performance.”

Both entrepreneurs say they have embraced digital marketing and point-of-sale software, but are leaning on Mastercard’s Digital Doors toolkit to take their businesses to the next level.

Kinsey, who dreams of becoming a renowned female pit master and Amanda’s BarBeeQue “opening a BBQ shack and food truck,” said the mentoring she received from Siegel convinced her that her business “may be small but will grow exponentially.”

“What I know for sure,” Kinsey said, “is that with Mastercard’s mentorship, Amanda’s BarBeeQue can only go up from here.”