Finalists present in-person to judges - 2025 Business Pitch and Poster Competition
2025 Pitch & Poster Competition Student Entrepreneurs win cash prizes for pitching their business ideas! To participate in the competition, submit your 5-minute business pitch video by April 7th to Adam Melnick at amelnic2@msudenver.edu. Finalists and those invited to present posters will be announced shortly thereafter. Finalists and poster-presenters will work with a pitch coach to prepare their live pitch and/or poster. Finalists present in-person to judges at an evening event, with food, on campus Wednesday, April 30th at 5pm. At that same time, we will have a poster reception where guests can learn about your businesses. First prize $2000, Second prize $1500, Third prize(s) $500, Best Poster Award $500. Top three awardees also receive coaching from Aaron LePedis: the Garage Sale Millionaire! If you have any questions and to submit your business pitch video, contact Adam Melnick at amelnic2@msudenver.edu 5-minute Business Pitch How to make a 5-minute business pitch video • Have your powerpoint or canva.com presentation ready with the suggested slides. You can use any platform to create your presentation. • Get on zoom.com and record the session to your computer • Begin by introducing yourself and then, share your screen to present your business • You have only 5 minutes, so do it over and over until you get it right • The good thing about Zoom is that you can easily practice and watch to see how you do. Submit the best MP4 to amelnic2@msudenver.edu. Make sure that the file name has your name in it so that we can organize the files easily • If your file is too big to send, let me know and I will figure something out. What goes into a Business Pitch? 10 Slides that should be in your pitch deck Title Slide: Project/Team name and team member names, image of what you are selling Slide 1: Vision or Value Propositions | What is your product or service? Describe your business in 140 characters or less in a way your parents would understand. Slide 2: The Problem • What is the specific problem that your project is going to solve? • What is the Customer/User pain? • Who is affected by the problem? Be specific! Slide 3: The Market Opportunity | Who is your Market? • Briefly discuss who you are selling the product or service to. What industry is it? Show your market opportunity (number of people affected by this problem) and analysis on this slide. • Include research, numbers, estimates, databases, articles, surveys, and other data regarding the opportunity associated with your project. Utilize graphs/charts to showcase the data. • Demonstrate data on real-life people/customers that you have talked to who could benefit from your solution. Slide 4: The Solution • Clearly describe your proposed solution • How does your specific solution solve the problem you stated in slide 1? • What value does your solution provide? How is it new, innovative or unique? • If possible, use pictures and stories when you describe your solution. Slide 5: What is your revenue model? How do you expect to make money? Slide 6: Current Status | Traction (Optional: if you have any) Accomplishments to date If you have primary market research or already have sales or early adopters using your product, talk about that here. Talk about your milestones. What major goals have you achieved so far and what are the major next steps you plan on taking? Slide 7: Competition (who else is doing this that you can learn from) What is your competitive advantage? You need to effectively communicate how your company is different—a better distribution channel? Key partners? Proprietary technology? Slide 8: Management Team Who is behind your company? How are you uniquely capable of doing this? Tell them a little about you and your team's background and achievements. Slide 9: The Ask from the Audience What support do you need (feedback, advice, connections, input, mentorship, work with classes to further develop plan)? How will you use the money to further your project? Slide 10: Thank you/Questions slide Recommendations: Keep your pitch simple Use less words Include images whenever possible Tell a story Keep it short Tell us what you need Practice, practice, practice The 5-minute time limit is real Poster Presentation For those who make the final round, you are required to create a poster of your business presentation. Additional applicants will be invited to present posters. The reason for this is so that after the final pitch competition and while the judges are deliberating, people can learn about your business and ask questions. What goes onto the Pitch Poster? • All posters should be 24” wide by 36” high (Portrait) in color • Mount this poster on a foam-core backing so that it sits securely in an easel • Visually attractive with images, charts, & graphs • Logo and branding • Images of what you are selling • The products and services to be offered • Your target customers (and how many are there) • What is unique about your business? • How you promote? • Why is now the opportune time for your business? • Competitors • Trends • Business model—How do you make money? • Break-even • Pricing points, price range • Key milestones • Your location • Introduce team and what you bring to the table • The ask (support, advice, mentorship, money?)
