The South Coast-based Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation presented a check Jan. 17 for $16,000 to Geoff Green, president of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation, and Julie Samson, director of the college’s Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. 

The funds provide seed money and scholarships for student entrepreneurs from the proceeds of the 2017 Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards, foundation officials said. 

Most of the money will be given the winners of the 2018 SBCC Scheinfeld Center’s New Venture Challenge, a two-tiered business pitch competition for high school and college students.

The remainder of the funds will be added to the SOE Fund that was established two years ago to help New Venture Challenge winners attend the college or university of their choice, officials said. 

“The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards honors outstanding women entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties for the benefit of student entrepreneurs,” said Cathy Feldman, board chairwoman and CEO of the SOE Foundation. “Our mission is to support entrepreneurship at all levels in the area because entrepreneurs are the engine for growing our economy.”  

Since 2011, the foundation raised more than $67,000 for the New Venture Challenge collegiate and the high school winners.