Pitch Your Business Idea for a Chance to Win $5,000!
Thursday, March 2, 2023, at New Hall on the campus of Columbia College, 700 Cougar Dr, Columbia, MO 65216
The Missouri Women’s Business Center supports the entrepreneurial spirit and is hosting a pitch competition to allow new and existing business owners an opportunity to win funds to support their businesses.
Winners of the competition will receive:
1st Place - $5,000
2nd Place - $2,000
3rd Place - $1,000
Application Guidelines
- Applicants must be managing Owners of at least 51% women-owned for-profit businesses. If an operational business, the business must have been in business for 5 years or less.
- Applicants must already operate or plan to operate their for-profit business in at least one of the following counties: Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, and Osage.
- Qualified applicants * will be scheduled to present (for no more than 10 minutes) to the screening committee via Zoom on January 24 through January 26; the committee will select the top 5 applicants who will be our finalists for the in-person pitch competition.
- Finalists are required to present in person on the evening of Thursday, March 2, 2023, at Columbia College. We strongly encourage you to dress in business attire for your presentation. Time slots will be selected on the evening of the competition. Winners will be announced at the end of the program.
- Each competitor will have a Missouri Women’s Business Center coach assigned to them for one-on-one coaching. These sessions will focus on your presentation, and the coaches will have the judging rubric to help guide you. Coaching week will be from February 14 through February 23. 6. A well-thought-out presentation is required. This can be in the following type of presentation software: PowerPoint, Prototype, Videos, or Live Demos.
If any other visual aids are required, they must be requested and approved before January 31.
*Qualified Applicants will be contacted via email & phone to set up your screening. These are January 24, January 25, and January 26. These will be no more than 10 minutes via zoom, a presentation of the Business idea and will go over the topics of business, type, problem, solution, competition, and marketing strategy. Final presentations must be emailed to KSullivan@mowbc.org by February 28th, 5:00 PM. It is a best practice to bring a copy of your presentation on a flash drive with you to the event.
