Ozarks-area nnovators and entrepreneurs will have a unique opportunity to pitch their business or product idea to a panel of judges for a chance to win a cash prize: The Ozarks Small Business Incubator has announced it will host its annual PitchFest beginning April 18 at OzSBI, 408 Washington Ave. in West Plains.
The ultimate goal of Pitch Fest participants is to go on to compete at OzSBI’s EPIC Pitch Competition on May 2, officials explained.
Anyone with a business idea within OzSBI’s seven-county region — Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties — is invited to pitch at PitchFest, said officials, explaining how it works: Contestants are allotted six minutes to pitch their business idea to a panel of judges. As part of the competition, participants are encouraged to work with OzSBI mentors to refine their pitches.
In Round One, six contestants will be selected to move onto Round Two, where they will present their pitch for a second time to the judges. Four contestants will be selected as finalists to present at the EPIC Pitch Competition, part of OzSBI’s National Small Business celebration, to win cash and prizes.
The first place winner of the Pitch Competition will receive the top cash prize of $1000, six months use of OzSBI coworking space and a year of business mentoring, valued at over $1,500. Second and third-place winners also receive cash and mentoring prizes.
The deadline for entering Pitch Fest is April 11. To enter, individuals must complete an online application by going to ozsbi.com/events and selecting PitchFest, or visit the incubator to apply in person. Anyone who wishes to compete in the EPIC Pitch Competition on May 2 must first compete at Pitch Fest, officials emphasized.
For more information about PitchFest or EPIC 2024, visit OzSBI’s Facebook page or website at www.ozsbi.com, or call 417-256-9724.
