Got an idea to improve life in New Orleans? Enter PitchNOLA and you could win $1,000 to help make it a reality. Budding entrepreneurs have about a month to submit entries to PitchNOLA 2011, an “elevator-pitch” competition for ventures designed to effect positive social or environmental change in New Orleans.
PitchNOLA is run by the Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans (SENO), the social startup accelerator in New Orleans that recently announced its first class of startups.
Now in its third year, the contest gives local social entrepreneurs the chance to pitch breakthrough ideas to a panel of celebrity judges and an audience of more than 200 business professionals, social activists and community members.
The competition takes place at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6, at Freeman Auditorium in the Woldenberg Art Center on Tulane University’s uptown campus. To enter, individuals or teams must submit a one- to three-minute YouTube video pitch and a 500-word proposal online by 11:59 p.m., Sept. 7. The top 10 proposals will earn a spot in the live PitchNOLA competition at Tulane. Anyone interested in participating as an audience member may visit this same website to register to attend. The audience plays a key role in the competition by providing constructive criticism and helping entrants better connect with resources and contacts.
“The Freeman School of Business is delighted to partner with PitchNOLA to give entrepreneurs a platform to not only hone their presentation skills but to engage and inspire the community with their innovative ideas for social change here in New Orleans,” said Ira Solomon, dean of the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane.
The individual or team with the most innovative idea will win $1,000 plus executive mentorship, consulting and pro-bono technical assistance from Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans. A second $500 prize will be given to the audience’s favorite pitch.
PitchNOLA is sponsored by SENO, Tulane Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives and Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business. For more information about the competition, click here.