PitchNOLA 2011

PitchNOLA 2011: Innovative Ideas for Change, hosted by SENO and Tulane University

Visit the website for full details and application access: http://www.seno-nola.org/pitchnola

Apply to pitch your social change idea to a live audience and panel of expert judges hosted by SENO and Tulane University.

Application Deadline: September 7, 2011 at 11:59pm; online application can be accessed at www.seno-nola.org/pitchnola

PitchNOLA 2011 Competition Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2011; 7-9pm; refreshments will be served after the competition

Competition Location: Tulane University Woldenberg Art Center, Freeman Auditorium, Newcomb Circle – Uptown Campus

MC: Matt Candler, CEO & Founder, 4.0 Schools

Celebrity Judges:
Nishith Acharya, Executive Director, The Deshpande Foundation
Eric Shaw, VP of Policy and Programs, Foundation of Louisiana
TBA

About PitchNOLA 2011

PitchNOLA is an “elevator pitch” competition open to individuals and teams with an idea for a financially sustainable venture to solve a specific social problem in New Orleans. Unlike traditional business plan competitions, participants do not need to submit a completed business plan. Entrants need only submit a short proposal and a 1-3 minute Youtube video for initial consideration. 10 finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas to a large audience and panel of judges during PitchNOLA 2011.

The event, which is in its 3rd year, is OPEN TO ALL community members in the Greater New Orleans area. In 2010, PitchNOLA received 150+ initial applications with 200+ community members who helped to choose an “Audience Favorite.” Click here to see past PitchNOLA winners, celebrity judges, and photos.

PitchNOLA’s goals are to:
• Strengthen the pipeline of social entrepreneurs with breakthrough ideas for social change in New Orleans
• Inspire and educate the community-at-large about innovative ideas from local social innovators
• Allow emerging and early-stage social entrepreneurs to hone their pitch and presentation skills
• Provide a platform to facilitate connections and partnerships between people with resources, useful contacts, and similar ideas

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

To apply, please submit an online written proposal of no more than 500 words and a 1-3 minute Youtube video that showcases you pitching your idea. Entries must be submitted via online application by Wednesday, September 7, 2011, 11:59pm CST.

Although PitchNOLA 2011 is not a business plan contest, entrants are encouraged to put concrete thought into submissions.

Application:

1. 50 word summary of the idea which clearly identifies the social problem being addressed and succinctly describes the business model. Applicants who make it to the final round will have their paragraph in the competition press release and posted on www.seno-nola.org and Tulane.edu.
2. 500 word description to provide detail on the idea by addressing the following components of the plan:

• (200 words) Product or Service Description: Describe the product or service your organization will provide, why it is unique, and what social problem it will address. What issue are you trying to solve and what are the levers of change?
• (100 words) Market Size: Provide a rough calculation of the market size for this product and describe the target audience.
• (100) Marketing Efforts: Describe how you will market your product or service.
• (100) Financial Plan: Provide an estimate of initial cost and revenue projections.

3. 1-3 minute Youtube video. Applicants will record a video of a 1-3-minute pitch and upload the link to www.youtube.com as xxxxxxxxxxxx. Applicants can use a camera phone, video camera, computer camera, etc. and will not be in any way judged on the quality of the video, but rather on your ability to pitch.

ELIGIBILITY

Entrants. The contest is open to any individual who currently resides in the Greater New Orleans area.

Ideas. To be eligible for PitchNOLA each submission must meet the following criteria:

• It must seek to create social value and impact in a significant and sustainable manner. The idea may involve a nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid model venture, as long as social impact is central to its mission and operations.

• It must seek to advance an idea and organization at a very early phase. The contest is designed for projects that are in their infancy. Below are broad eligibility guidelines.

o Operations commenced no earlier than October 7, 2010.
o Revenue (grant funding, capital, earned revenue, etc.) not to exceed $50,000.
o Project is a stand-alone effort and operates independently of existing organizations (including, but not limited to, resources, governance, management, staff, and infrastructure).

THE PROCESS

The competition will take place in two rounds:

Round I: The first round of the competition will be based on written proposals and youtube videos, which must be submitted via online application by Wednesday, September 7, 2011. Judging will be completed by a committee of business leaders, academic faculty, and community members with experience and expertise in social impact organizations. A maximum of 10 semi-finalist individuals/teams will be selected and notified by September 20, 2011. Finalists will have two weeks to work on their pitch and prepare 3 Powerpoint slides.

Pitch Workshop (for finalists): For semi-finalists, participating in a “pitch” workshop to receive feedback on the planned pitch and three Powerpoint slides is a requirement of pitching in the final PitchNOLA competition. The pitch workshop will take place on September 27, 2011 from 5:30pm-8:30pm, location 643 Magazine St, 2nd floor, office of 4.0 Schools. The three slides accompanying the pitch must be submitted to PitchNOLA no later than September 26, 2011 to pitchnola@seno-nola.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to receive feedback during the pitch workshop.

Round II: PitchNOLA 2011! The second round of the competition will be at PitchNOLA 2011. Finalists will have three minutes to pitch their ideas to the “celebrity judges” and an audience of 200-300 competition audience members. Following the presentations, the panel of three judges will ask finalists questions, and during the competition, the judges will select the First Place winner in front of the live audience. Audience members will also participate in selecting an “Audience Favorite” for a $500 prize.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Throughout all rounds of the competition, judges will assess ideas according to these criteria:

• Potential Social Impact: The potential scale and influence of the project on the identified social and/or environmental problem.
• Viability: The potential for the idea to become a sustainable organization.
• Financial Sustainability: Ideas should have a clear and sustainable strategy for long-term revenue generation.
• Innovation: The level of creativity of concept and model.
• Presentation: The clarity, uniqueness and persuasiveness of written and/or verbal presentations.

AWARDS

Participants will compete for two top prizes awarded by a panel of judges from social entrepreneurship-related organizations. Prizes include cash and pro-bono technical assistance, consulting, and executive mentorship provided by Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans (SENO) to further develop the idea. The audience will also vote electronically for their favorite PitchNOLA finalist for an award of $500.

• First Place: $3,500 + executive mentorship, consulting, and pro-bono technical assistance (i.e., legal, accounting, marketing, etc.) provided by Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans as a “SENO Associate”
• Audience Favorite: $500

Note: Winners are strongly encouraged and expected to use the award money and consulting hours in order to advance their winning ideas. Finalists are also encouraged to develop their ideas further and apply for the Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans (www.seno-nola.org) 2012 New Ventures Accelerator, if eligible.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Audience members will play a key role in this competition since one of PitchNOLA’s goals is to better connect social entrepreneurs with resources and contacts. Audience members will be provided with feedback cards on which they can provide constructive criticism as well as ideas on funding, people to connect with and anything else related to the idea.

To participate in PitchNOLA as an audience member, please register here. The competition will be held on October 6th, 2011 at the Tulane University Freeman Auditorium.

MORE INFORMATION
Contact PitchNOLA/SENO with submissions, questions, and/or comments at pitchnola@seno-nola.org. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

KEY DATES

o August 1, 2011: PitchNOLA online application goes live.
o September 7, 2011, 11:59pm CST: Deadline for applications (written portion and youtube link)
o September 20, 2011: Ten PitchNOLA finalists announced
o September 28, 2011: Three PitchNOLA Powerpoint slides due to PitchNOLA at pitchnola@seno-nola.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
o September 29, 2011: Pitch workshop for ten finalists, location TBA
o October 6, 2011, 6pm-8:30pm: PitchNOLA final competition event before live audience of 200-300 community members

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