Resource Nights: Giving a Great Pitch
Each week you can read a recap of the previous Entrepreneurship Resource Nights (Business Plan Practicum) session. This past week, instructor John Zagula (founder, Ignition Capital) led a class focused on giving a great startup pitch with special guest speakers Tom Furphy, founder/CEO of Replenium, Adrian Smith, partner at Ignition Partners, Laurel M. Buckner, managing director at WestRiver Group, Ishani Gujral, product lead at Madrona Venture Labs, and Mo Afshar, CEO at @Pipe17. Reminder: You can watch the recording for this session right now.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein
“Be sincere, be brief, be seated.” – Franklin Roosevelt
NINTH RESOURCE NIGHTS SESSION – GIVING A GREAT PITCH
In the second to last session of the 2020 winter quarter, we focused on giving a great pitch, whatever the medium or format. Persuasion is key to success in all aspects of life, not just entrepreneurship. Developing and delivering a great pitch is the culmination of your ideas, your planning, and your passion.
After a short lecture on some pitch tips, 34 groups put their ideas and thinking to the test giving live elevator pitches to our seasoned judges: Tom Furphy, founder/CEO of Replenium, Adrian Smith, partner at Ignition Partners, Laurel M. Buckner, managing director at WestRiver Group, Ishani Gujral, product lead at Madrona Venture Labs, and Mo Afshar, CEO at @Pipe17.
And hats off to our winners!
- Best pitched: BacTrac
- Most Thorough: Plantform
- Best Idea: Accelsior
- People’s Choice: Glide Assist
- Best Overall: Sensol
Reminder: You can watch the recording for this session right now.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESOURCE NIGHTS LECTURE SERIES
Resource Nights (ENTRE 440/540 Business Plan Practicum) lectures will be recorded and the links posted to our website weekly. View the Resource Night schedule for links and complete listing of topics and guest speakers.
WEEK NINE OF RESOURCE NIGHTS
Tuesday, March 10 at 6:00 pm via Zoom Video Conference
The final session of the quarter is completely online! Existing students and those dropping in can register in advance right now for the class by clicking on the link provided. After registering you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the meeting.
This will be an exciting final session as it features Amy Nelson, CEO of the Riveter!
Reminder, you can drop-in or catch the recording of this weekly course.
INNOVATION CHALLENGES AND STUDENT COMPETITIONS
$48,500 were awarded to student teams at the 2020 Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge. Read the recap now.
Finalists for the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge were announced.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the Dempsey Startup Competition. The application for the competition will open up in the next week. Reminder, the deadline to apply is Monday, April 6.
Dempsey Startup Competition Webinar
Wednesday, March 11 at 4:30 pm
The Dempsey Startup Competition is open to enrolled student teams in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia and Alaska. Tune in to the webinar to learn more about the competition rules and what to expect. Use the chat function in Zoom to ask questions!
Registration Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5cuf-6hpzMqnZ0-i-Ex7nRgD77mo-foJg
Dempsey Startup Competition Application Party
Tuesday, March 31 from 12:30 to 3 pm
Herbold Innovation Lab (Dempsey Hall 211)
Planning to enter the Dempsey Startup Competition? Come start (or finish!) your application with us! We’ll have snacks, examples of 5-7 page business summaries, laptops and competition managers available to answer your questions. UW Students only.
RSVP Link: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/sstuder/385593
Learn more about the Buerk Center student competitions at startup.uw.edu.
