Three business owner hopefuls competed Tuesday night in the second annual Guppy Tank held by the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development at the South Street location in Lehighton.

At 7 p.m., Brian Reeser pitched his idea of a specialty dog kennel in Mahoning Township to four panel judges, Jason Highduch of New Tripoli Bank, Richard De Luca of National Penn, Anthony Postupack of Mauch Chunk Trust Company and Chris Hudock of The Rising Tide Community Loan Fund.Reeser, along with the other two competitors, had 10 minutes to impress the panel, followed by a brief five- to 10-minute question round where the four judges could ask the contestant any number of questions pertaining to the pitch."It's important to help someone starting a new business," De Luca said.Barbra Bielawne and husband Keith pitched the idea of starting up a specialty lingerie shop, but not the typical Victoria's Secret kind."We want to start selling bras for cancer survivors; a bra-mastectomy shop," Bielawne told the panel. A two-time cancer survivor herself, Bielawne told the panel of her own struggles, frustrations and expenses of online ordering and returning."It's really something you have to try on," she said.According to Bielawne the closest shop is over 40 miles away with limited stock. The couple told the judges they were hoping to acquire a 1,700-square-foot shop to house inventory and dressing rooms."It'll be cheaper than online. It'll cut the shipping costs," she said."I think this is a great idea," Highduch told her. "As a community bank, that's what we do, try to find a way to help folks in the community," Highduch said.A score sheet with six categories was used by the panel to determine the winner for the Guppy Tank prizes, $250, a free Quick Books program and a consultation with Frey and Company of Walnutport.It was Shannon Eidem with 97 overall points who took home the prize Tuesday night with her idea of a veteran rehabilitation farm."As a vet myself I understand the importance of something like this," she said. "Vets do very well with assignments and routine."The concept is simple, to have six to eight vets come to work at the farm after returning to the states from combat."They need time to decompress before they go back to their families."Eidem proposed to have an on-site psychologist and operate as a nonprofit. With the ball already rolling, Eidem told the panel the first crop grown would be hops, which would then be sold to local microbrewery Red Castle in Lehighton."The profits made would go into an account for the vets for when they are ready to leave; they could have some money.""There's definitely a need for this. I work with folks from the VA," De Luca said.Referrals for the farm would come from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs along with 65 percent of the operating cost in the form of a grant from the organization.The farm would fall under the nonprofit category, being almost completely self-sustaining."The need for this is really overwhelming," Eidem said. "It's outrageous we even have homeless veterans in the first place.""I liked this when I read it. There are a lot of tools available out there to help with something like this," Highduch said.After the scores were tallied, Kathy Henderson, director of economic development, called the contestants back in, and Eidem was announced as the winner."She had the most comprehensive presentation," Postupack said."We are here at the chamber to help you. Don't be strangers," Henderson told the contestants.Last year's winner of the first Guppy Tank challenge was Rachel Moll, an organization expert of Jim Thorpe who owns and operates Space Elf, a business that works to get a person's home or office organized.