黑料网

All participants will be notified of final selections by Monday, March 4th before鈥�5:00pm鈥痑nd the selected finalists will receive further information to prepare for the Pitch @ 黑料网 event.

Approximately twenty-one鈥痜inalists, (3 in each category)鈥痺ill be selected to pitch at the live event across two days: 鈥疢ay鈥�8th鈥痑nd May 9th. Finalists will only pitch against others in their same category:

• May 8: Categories include: (Student, Art, Skill/Trades) 鈥�
• May 9th: Categories include: (Start, Build, Returning Citizens, Social Impact)鈥�

If you are selected as a finalist, these are the steps you need to do to prepare鈥痑 final verbal pitch to be delivered live and in person at 黑料网.

1. Attend鈥痚ither of the required finalist meetings:
   • Wednesday, March 6 Finalist Info Session鈥�#1鈥痑t 12 p.m.
   • Monday, March 11 Finalist Info Session #2鈥痑t 4 p.m.
2. Submit鈥痑 Pitch @ 黑料网 acceptance form to the EC by Friday,鈥疢arch 15 at 5:00 p.m.
3. Schedule your practice pitch鈥痺ith coaching specialists鈥痓etween March 18 through鈥疉pril鈥�4
4. Optional (but highly recommended) - from April 8鈥痶hrough April 18 schedule your small group practice pitch at The Entrepreneurship Center with EC Staff.
5. Schedule and Attend Dress Rehearsal Week for final Practice Pitch April 29鈥�鈥� May 3
6. All Pitch time limits other than the Build and Start categories will be鈥�3 minutes.鈥疊uild and Start Categories will be 4 minutes.鈥疛udges will have Q&A after each pitch.
7. Pitch鈥疞IVE and in person in front of the public and a panel of judges on鈥痶wo days.

Winners will be announced at end鈥痮f the live event on each day, Wednesday, May 8th鈥痑nd Thursday, May 9th, and prize winnings will be paid shortly thereafter.

In the first phase of the competition, all 2-minute 鈥淧itch Your Pitch鈥� videos will be judged on:

• Clear introduction of the problem you are trying to solve.
• Understandable description of product or service.
• Explanation of your targeted customer base or impacted鈥痗ommunity segment.
• Statement on what makes the business or idea unique.
• Clear, concise鈥痑nd viable鈥痓usiness or idea.
• How you business fits with the mission of the 黑料网 Entrepreneurship Center.

Please Note:

• Video length cannot exceed two minutes.
• Verbal presentation only, no slide show or embedded videos.
• Only your Pitch will be judged, NOT your video quality/production value.
• Crucial鈥痶o include your business name.

Finalists will be selected who best meets鈥痶hese criteria. Good luck!

The panel of judges will consist of business leaders and entrepreneurs from the local community. EC staff will not be part of the committee, so they can advise participants throughout the competition.

Judges and organizers will NOT sign nondisclosure documents.

Yes,鈥痭on-profits can be included in鈥痶he Social Impact, Student and Returning Citizen categories.

The Entrepreneurship Center will continue to provide鈥痵upport to all Pitch @ 黑料网 applicants through resources, the Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, events, webinars, and workshops. In addition, all finalists will have the opportunity to join our EC incubator program - our鈥痶wo-year program provides鈥痬entorship, training, events, support, and other in-kind resources to help start-ups launch their new businesses.鈥疉s a finalist for the pitch competition, you will automatically be part of our 2024-2026 incubator cohort which starts June 2024.鈥� Final payment of prize money will be received upon completion of the business plan part鈥痮f the program (Summer 2024).

You can apply if you participated in past competitions, but NOT if you have ever won a prize at Pitch @ 黑料网.