Inaugural “Quick Pitch” Competition A Rousing Success

Student pitching in front of Memorial Stadium - Photo credit Three Pillars Media

An “elevator pitch” is a bare-bones run-down of a business proposition, truncated so as to be deliverable in the time it takes an elevator to travel from the bottom floor to the top. So, it was only fitting that students hoping to win cash prizes for their budding business ideas took an elevator up three floors to the Memorial Stadium West Stadium Club, where the first ever Make it Happen Student Quick Pitch Competition was held on February 25.

The competition — a joint venture sponsored by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, the Southeast Community College Entrepreneurship Center, Lincoln Public Schools’ Entrepreneurship Focus Program and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln chapter of Students in Free Enterprise — saw nearly 50 students from seven educational institutions pitching ideas as varied as a microdistillery focusing on vodka and gin or an LGBT outreach center offering psychiatric services and complicated surgeries, all in hopes of securing $1,000 to move forward with their plans. Some 40 judges, executives at their respective companies or owners of their own small businesses, evaluated the ideas, eventually declaring six students (three from the university level, two high school competitors and one participant from a community college) the winners.

Student with Memorial Stadium and Nebraska State Capitol in the background - Photo credit Three Pillars Media

“We thought Memorial Stadium would be a good venue because it was our first time doing this and we wanted an ‘awe’  factor,” said Travis Pillen, the NCE’s graduate assistant who helped coordinate the event. “It’s really neat to see the preparation that goes into these pitches, to see students take a risk and develop an idea. It’s good for them to get that feedback from the judges, whether they start the business or not.”

And even the students who didn’t win gained valuable experience in the business world, laying the groundwork for future success.

“The event definitely exceeded my expectations — the best part was the networking, looking around seeing everybody talking to everybody,” said Kathleen Thornton, the NCE’s interim director. “People coming together, sharing ideas in a more relaxed atmosphere, it’s hard to create that. A lot of business plan competitions tend to be stuffy. You talk to students all the time about networking, but it doesn’t pan out and tonight I think it did.”

Already gearing up for next year’s competition, Thornton said she hoped the 2011 Quick Pitch contest would attract more students from Western Nebraska. She also stated she’d like to see separate divisions for non-profit pitches in the future.

“Those are always hard to judge when set against for-profit business plans,” she said. “It’s like comparing apples to oranges sometimes.”

2010 Make it Happen Student Quick Pitch Competition Winners
-Tanner O’Dell, Lincoln Focus Program, pitching “Chef’s Table,” a restaurant where patrons’ meals are a randomized surprise every time they dine

“I’ve talked to a lot of chefs here in Lincoln, and one of the problems is always the pickiness of some of the people about their food. I came up with this concept to get people to try something they haven’t tried before.”
-Devante King, Lincoln Focus Program, pitching “U-Band,” which would supply silicon sports bands popular among athletes, custom-tailored to a patron’s stylistic desires

“These bands are worn by a lot of sports athletes, but what these bands lack are the customization that (U-Band provides). You can have whatever word or phrase you want that’s appropriate on the front, back or inside the band.”
-Kim King, Southeast Community College, pitching “Tara Belle’s Bakery,” a cake-making enterprise that’s grown out of her home largely by word-of-mouth

“I want to actively seek financing next. If all goes well, I have a target date of opening my bakery in Lincoln this October.”
-Landon Bailey, York College, pitching “Morelity,” a company that harvests, packages and sells naturally occurring morel mushrooms

“I’ve been doing it for five years, picking and selling them. I pick them naturally because, right now, you can’t reproduce them; they’ve got to be found in their natural condition.”
-Brittany Benson, UNL, pitching “F.A.B. Fitness,” a multipurpose complex offering dance, fitness and sports, set to open in Glendale, Arizona

“Arizona is demographically the most fitness-orientated state. I took a job with a sports training facility that I’ll start at in August in Glendale. First I want to just build a client base, and then, hopefully within the next five years, be able to actually start the business.”
-Morgan Allen, UNL, pitching an unnamed wet wipes dispenser project

“I’m trying to keep quiet about my project for the time being. Even the judges told me to protect my idea.”

Staff - Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship - Photo credit Three Pillars Media