BECKLEY (WVDN) – The West Virginia Hive, in partnership with the West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) Launch Lab, will host a new Pitch Southern West Virginia business idea competition round on March 30 on the WVU Tech campus. Applications to pitch business ideas are due at 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27.
Diana Woods, director of the WVU Tech Launch Lab who is serving as coordinator of the event, said a panel of judges will select three top entries, with the first-place winner earning a $2,000 prize. The three top business presenters will receive awards in the competition with an additional prize awarded to the best presentation by a WVU Tech student or team of students.
“We hope entrepreneurs will get as excited about these competitions as we do and take advantage of this great opportunity,” said Judy Moore, executive director of the WV Hive and deputy director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.
“The cash prizes aren’t the only benefit of participating,” she said in a press release. “Entrepreneurs who participate gain tremendous experience through the entire process of applying, preparing the pitch presentation and pitching in front of an audience. There is also a ton of feedback provided during the process from our panel of expert judges which includes successful entrepreneurs, business professionals, educators and investors.”
Those eligible to participate include WVU Tech students, faculty and staff, and entrepreneurs and businesses of the sSouthern West Virginia counties of Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, Mercer, Wyoming, McDowell, Logan and Mingo.
The business idea competition is limited to entrepreneurs of new start-ups and businesses in operation for less than three years. The best proposals submitted will be invited to give five-minute, in-person pitches of their business ideas before the reviewers. The reviewers will engage in a question-and-answer session with each presenter.
The deadline to submit an application is 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27. Proposals for business pitches and questions about the competition should be emailed to Diana Woods at tech-launchlab@mail.wvu.edu.
