Virtual Pitch Battle!

We're so excited to launch our inaugural virtual pitch battle on August 29th!  We're inviting local startups to apply to pitch their idea or business to our panel of judges! Startups will receive feedback on their pitch and compete to win a chance to pitch at Startup Grind's global Pitch Battle in September!

The Battle

5 founders will go head-to-head in two categories: ideation and startup/small business. Each founder will pitch for three (3) minutes. The pitches will be judged based on 3 criteria: Market Opportunity (10 points), Value Proposition (10 points), and Pitch Clarity (10 points). The 3 startups with the highest number of points will go on to compete in Startup Grind's Global Pitch Competition in September. In the event of a tie, the startup that pitched closest to the 3-minute time limit will be declared the winner. Any pitch that exceeds 3:10 seconds will be deducted 5 points.

This a FREE event that will be streamed live on Facebook (@startupgrindmemphis) and Youtube!

The Judges

Dawn Myers (CEO, The Most; Director, The Vinetta Project)

Dawn Myers is Founder and CEO at THE MOST and Director of The Vinetta Project. She started THE MOST to make products to meet the nuanced needs of women of color, but engineering and manufacturing tech-enabled hardware takes an incredible amount of capital and training. Dawn had to get creative to raise funds to surmount the heightened barriers to entry for minorities in this space and quickly found herself advising and coaching other women on how to work what they have to get what they need. 

Jonny Price (Business Development, WeFunder)

Jonny leads the Business Development team at Wefunder, which helps founders raise capital from anyone, through equity crowdfunding. Wefunder has funded hundreds of early-stage startups with $150M (average raise is $350K), exposing them to over 600K potential investors on the Wefunder platform.

Every month we invite you to better understand and to embrace Startup Grind’s Values:

Give First (before you ask)

Make Friends (not just contacts)

Help Others (before you help yourself)

And to broadcast Startup Grind’s Mission:

To Educate, Inspire, and Connect Entrepreneurs

Our global community of 600+ chapters in 110 countries worldwide is here for you. Let us know... How may we best assist you? (I.e. - Can we help facilitate warm introductions to businesses, mentors, and/or investors to grow your startup here or elsewhere?)

Ways You Can Participate this Month:

Listen & Learn - Are you a member of our local entrepreneurial ecosystem? Are you looking for inspiration on how to start your startup? Are you wondering how to combine your passion with giving back to the community? We encourage you to come to meet (virtually), learn from, and have the chance to ask questions of our featured speakers and guests.

Spread the Word - Startup Grind Memphis' monthly events are an effective and valuable opportunity to share your brand and message with our local entrepreneurial community. Startup Grind’s events regularly attract many influential Founders, Professionals, and Investors. We have several options available, starting at only $55. Contact us about sharing your brand with our entrepreneurs!