Elevator pitch may bring you thousands
In addition to the $10,000 prize, which will be determined by judges including Matt Flannery and Leslie Jacobs, entrants in the annual PitchNOLA competition are eligible for the Audience Favorite Award. (Photo by Cheryl Gerber)
Have an idea to solve a social problem in New Orleans? Enter the 2015 PitchNOLA competition and you could win $10,000 to help turn your idea into a reality.
PitchNOLA: Community Solutions is a live “elevator pitch” competition that offers community members a platform to pitch their solutions to pressing local problems. This competition, which seeks ideas that support children and families, the environment, workforce development and economic security, does not require a lengthy business plan.
The 2012 winner, The Justice and Accountability Center, has provided expungements to over 1,000 individuals previously incarcerated for non-violent crimes.
Individuals or teams in the greater New Orleans area may apply by Dec. 19 if they have startup-stage ventures that have generated less than $50,000 in sales or grant funding in the previous calendar year.
Semifinalists will pitch their ideas in front of a live audience, and a panel of celebrity judges at the competition on Jan. 28, 2015, at Tulane University. Judges include Matt Flannery, founder of Kiva and Puddle, and Leslie Jacobs, CEO of the New Orleans Startup Fund and founder of PowerMoves NOLA.
The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 to help bring the venture to market, as well as pro bono technical assistance and consulting services from Propeller, which provides support for New Orleans-based social entrepreneurship ventures.
In addition to the grand prize, an Audience Favorite Award, voted by audience members, will be presented.
Last year"s winner, Network Voluntours (formerly Crescent City Connections), has since recruited 1,200 volunteers, facilitated contribution of over $155,000 in labor to worthwhile causes, and was named one of the top businesses to watch in 2014 by New Orleans Magazine.
The 2012 winner, The Justice and Accountability Center, has provided expungements to over 1,000 individuals previously incarcerated for non-violent crimes.
The competition is hosted by the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University, the Tulane Center for Engaged Learning & Teaching and Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation.
