Pitch@WCC

All participants will be notified of final selections by Monday, March 4th before 5:00pm and the selected finalists will receive further information to prepare for the Pitch @ WCC event.

Approximately twenty-one finalists, (3 in each category) will be selected to pitch at the live event across two days:  May 8th and May 9th. Finalists will only pitch against others in their same category:

• May 8: Categories include: (Student, Art, Skill/Trades)  
• May 9th: Categories include: (Start, Build, Returning Citizens, Social Impact) 

If you are selected as a finalist, these are the steps you need to do to prepare a final verbal pitch to be delivered live and in person at WCC.

1. Attend either of the required finalist meetings:
   • Wednesday, March 6 Finalist Info Session #1 at 12 p.m.
   • Monday, March 11 Finalist Info Session #2 at 4 p.m.
2. Submit a Pitch @ WCC acceptance form to the EC by Friday, March 15 at 5:00 p.m.
3. Schedule your practice pitch with coaching specialists between March 18 through April 4
4. Optional (but highly recommended) - from April 8 through April 18 schedule your small group practice pitch at The Entrepreneurship Center with EC Staff.
5. Schedule and Attend Dress Rehearsal Week for final Practice Pitch April 29 – May 3
6. All Pitch time limits other than the Build and Start categories will be 3 minutes. Build and Start Categories will be 4 minutes. Judges will have Q&A after each pitch.
7. Pitch LIVE and in person in front of the public and a panel of judges on two days.

Winners will be announced at end of the live event on each day, Wednesday, May 8th and Thursday, May 9th, and prize winnings will be paid shortly thereafter.

In the first phase of the competition, all 2-minute “Pitch Your Pitch” videos will be judged on:

• Clear introduction of the problem you are trying to solve.
• Understandable description of product or service.
• Explanation of your targeted customer base or impacted community segment.
• Statement on what makes the business or idea unique.
• Clear, concise and viable business or idea.
• How you business fits with the mission of the WCC Entrepreneurship Center.

Please Note:

• Video length cannot exceed two minutes.
• Verbal presentation only, no slide show or embedded videos.
• Only your Pitch will be judged, NOT your video quality/production value.
• Crucial to include your business name.

Finalists will be selected who best meets these criteria. Good luck!

The panel of judges will consist of business leaders and entrepreneurs from the local community. EC staff will not be part of the committee, so they can advise participants throughout the competition.

Judges and organizers will NOT sign nondisclosure documents.

Yes, non-profits can be included in the Social Impact, Student and Returning Citizen categories.

The Entrepreneurship Center will continue to provide support to all Pitch @ WCC applicants through resources, the Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, events, webinars, and workshops. In addition, all finalists will have the opportunity to join our EC incubator program - our two-year program provides mentorship, training, events, support, and other in-kind resources to help start-ups launch their new businesses. As a finalist for the pitch competition, you will automatically be part of our 2024-2026 incubator cohort which starts June 2024.  Final payment of prize money will be received upon completion of the business plan part of the program (Summer 2024).

You can apply if you participated in past competitions, but NOT if you have ever won a prize at Pitch @ WCC.