Pitch your business idea at OzSBI
Do you have a business idea that you would like to pitch to the community? Are you looking for quality feedback? Startup capital to launch?
A business pitch is a brief presentation of an idea for a business opportunity – think Shark Tank without the celebs. At OzSBI’s PitchFest, participants are invited to create, refine and perfect their pitches with the guidance of seasoned business leaders.
How it works:
Everyone with a business idea in our 7-county region (Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Shannon, Texas and Wright Counties) is invited to pitch in Round 1 (date of 2025 PitchFest TBD). Participants will be given clear guidance about pitch expectations and will have 6 minutes to pitch their idea to a panel of judges for feedback. Six finalists will be chosen for Round Two.
Participants selected during the first round will compete in Round 2, which is a knockout round. They will have the opportunity to refine their presentations in advance of their second pitch. Four finalists will be selected from Round 2 to pitch for cash prizes at EPIC 2025, OzSBI’s signature annual event.
If desired, participants will be guided through the process of creating and refining their pitches by experienced business mentors. Each pitch will be restricted by time and judged by experienced business leaders/founders.
Participating in PitchFest will give you the unique opportunity to validate your business idea with a wide variety of business and community leaders, potential investors, future customers, and like-minded entrepreneurs. Even if you are eliminated in one of the first two rounds, you will come away with a clear, well-crafted business pitch and valuable feedback from the judges. Participating at this level will introduce you to your business community and establish your place as an up-and-coming entrepreneur.
2024 PitchFest Winners:
1st Place & People’s Choice: Andrew Bradley, Air Solutions
2nd Place: Jill Sloan, DanderDown
3rd Place: Manda Barnes-Cooper, Starry Night Events
4th Place: Donna Harper, SpaBender