Next Generation Entrepreneurs
Next Generation Entrepreneurs

Questions?

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Type of idea? Pitches can be for traditional for-profit or non-profit businesses. Pitches will be judged based on the impact they can make. Impact will be judged as a combination of improvement over the present condition/options, scalability and sustainability.

Preparation time? It is expected that teams will meet as often as necessary to develop their pitch. This can be combined with a classroom activity or as an out of the classroom project.

Coach Involvement? This is a student driven program. Coaches are there to provide guidance and support as well as fill supervisory roles. Coaches can assist in brainstorming, suggesting options to push past roadblocks, mentoring and connecting to outside resources. Coaches are not to promote their own ideas and are not allowed to present the pitch.

Mentors? BizGen will help match Mentors with teams. The abstract teams submit in March will be used to pair up mentors with teams. Teams may also find their own mentors.

Property Ownership? All ideas developed by teams should be able to be shared publicly. The ideas pitched will be done in a public setting. Teams are responsible to put in place any intellectual property protections desired.

Teams’ Responsibilities? Video and photography of the competition including interviews with team members and coaches will be created and made available to participants and may be broadcast. Follow up communication and data will be required as part of competing. This will be used to promote the the program and ideas showing the positive impact of successful pitches. Data will be collected to understand how the program impacts participants. Content developed will be made available to any team members for uses including college application and further development of their ideas. Teams agree to be surveyed at the start and end of program.

What can be presented? Teams can present anything they’d like within the time window of 20 minutes allotted to each team.  The 20 minutes include 15 minutes of pitch followed by about 5 minutes of questions from Judges. Presenters must be team members (not coaches or outside experts). Presentations are made on stage to the audience and judges via personal communication and/or audio video presentation via a computer connected projection system. All content presented should be the creation of the team members.

Prizes? Winning pitches will be awarded prizes.  In the 2017 BizGen season, first place will be awarded $4,500, second place $2,500, and third place $1,000. Winning teams may also receive in-kind support from sponsors to develop their pitches into real businesses.

Expenses? $500 will be paid to each registered teams coach to be used at their discretion.  Maximum $1,000 per school.