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1,000 Pitches contest aims to bring in new ideas
(Oct 2008) A competition now under way at the University of Michigan aims to gather 1,000 pitches for new businesses, inventions, and nonprofit organizations by the newly extended deadline of October 26. The award for winning entries in each of seven categories is $1,000.
The "1,000 Pitches" contest is a cross-campus effort organized by the College of Engineering's Center for Entrepreneurship.
"This is a campus where we value entrepreneurship," says Thomas Zurbuchen, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. "Through this competition, we hope to reach out to a broad range of students from different backgrounds across the University because anyone can be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is about ideas."
U-M students, staff, and faculty are eligible to make submissions, either by themselves or as part of a team. Pitches must be made as Web videos. They can be posted at www.1000pitches.com or E-mailed to 1000pitches@umich.edu. Maximum video submission length is three minutes. Categories are social, environmental, high tech, health, global business, local business, and green campus. The top pitch in each category will receive a $1,000 award.
Trained students will conduct the initial round of judging. Final judging will be by area entrepreneurs and experts. Judges will sign non-disclosure agreements and no videos will be made public without the consent of the participant.
Ideas will be judged on whether they are feasible, whether they fill a need, whether they can be implemented, and whether the plan for implementation is formulated.
Partners in this effort include the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Zell-Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Medical Innovation Center, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of Technology Transfer, the Rackham School of Graduate studies, the School of Information, Detroit-based Bizdom University, and MPowered Entrepreneurship together with Greek Life. Awards are sponsored by RPM Ventures, MacBeedon Partners, and Arboretum Ventures, as well as MPowered Entrepreneurship.
For instructions, information, and examples of pitches, go to to www.1000pitches.com.
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