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:

In 2026, all LaunchU participants and select MSU West Plains students are invited to pitch in Round 1 (date 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. Four finalists will be chosen to pitch for prizes at EPIC 2026.

The four finalists will pitch for cash prizes at OzSBI’s signature annual event, EPIC 2026 on May 7th.

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.

2025 PitchFest Winners:

1st Place & People’s Choice: Magic Keller, Ozarks School
2nd Place: Viv Iacovlev, Viv Pixel Studios
3rd Place: Jeremy Myers, Snowbird Banjos
4th Place: Charity Bledsoe, Charity K Candles & More