The Big Pitch // IdeaFame // The Heartland Challenge
The Big Pitch
The BIG Pitch is a virtual pitch competition for entrepreneurs of color to get access to grant funds to support them during the current economic conditions!
Qualifying entrepreneurs of color, will be registered, revenue-generating Arkansas businesses in operation for one year or more. The prize pool for three categories currently totals $30,000 and spans all sizes of small businesses.
Entrepreneurs must apply by Thursday, May 21 and will have the chance to pitch their businesses for judges deciding the competition winners on Thursday, June 4 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm.
The virtual pitch competition was made possible by Venture Noire in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation, Greater Bentonville Chamber of Commerce and The Venture Center.
IdeaFame
Startup Junkie and Conductor are joining forces to host the first-ever, statewide Zoom IdeaFame!
Instead of live pitches, contestants will record and submit a video of their pitch. The video pitch has to be 60 seconds or less. Videos longer than 60 seconds will not be considered.
This virtual IdeaFame Pitch Competition is open to every Arkansan, regardless of age or location and contestants will have until Sunday, May 31 to submit their video. On Friday, June 5, beginning at 5:30 p.m., participants will gather virtually together to watch the submitted videos.
A panel of judges will select their favorite idea based on its creativity, feasibility and profitability. The judges’ choice will take home $1,000. The audience will decide the people’s choice winner, who will also receive a check for $1,000.
IdeaFame
Startup Junkie and Conductor are joining forces to host the first-ever, statewide Zoom IdeaFame!
Instead of live pitches, contestants will record and submit a video of their pitch. The video pitch has to be 60 seconds or less. Videos longer than 60 seconds will not be considered.
This virtual IdeaFame Pitch Competition is open to every Arkansan, regardless of age or location and contestants will have until May 31 to submit their video. On Friday, June 5, beginning at 5:30 p.m., participants will gather virtually together to watch the submitted videos.
A panel of judges will select their favorite idea based on its creativity, feasibility and profitability. The judges’ choice will take home $1,000. The audience will decide the people’s choice winner, who will also receive a check for $1,000.
Heartland Challenge
The Heartland Challenge, a new startup competition for graduate students and the first global student startup competition held in the state of Arkansas, has pivoted to an online showdown among 12 top entrepreneurial teams from around the world for its semifinals and finals.
The competition is being organized by the U of A’s Sam M. Walton College of Business and will be held online May 27-29, 2020. The invited graduate student entrepreneurial teams are competing for a cash prize pool of $95,000.
The final round and the awards ceremony, which includes an elevator pitch competition among all 12 semifinal teams, will be livestreamed to the public with the help of Avad3. In a novel twist, the winner of the elevator pitch competition will be determined by a vote of the online audience.
