Spring 2015 Pitch Competition

Must be a currently enrolled HCC student 

 

1. Must be in video format (no word docs, pictures, applications etc.)
2. Must be appropriate for a professional setting (no nudity, swearing, derogatory notions etc.)
3. Video submissions must be AT LEAST 30 seconds in length Video submissions can be AT MOST 3 minutes in length
4. No copyrighted materials unless permission has been granted
5. An Individual is only allowed to pitch up to three times Identical pitches may not be submitted in multiple categories
6. If two people pitch an identical idea, they will both be judged objectively; however only one will be a finalist

 

1. Group pitches are allowed, but only one name is submitted with the pitch
2. A group pitch only counts as one pitch
3. A specific group can make as many pitches as their members times three

e.g. if 3 people pitched, those 3 people can pitch up to 9 times

*Failure to comply with these rules will result in disqualification of the pitch.

Sponsored by Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives, 3100 Main, Houston 77002

 

A pitch competition is a powerful and disciplined format to present a new idea or a new approach. The Pitch provides a vehicle for describing in a clear and concise manner (2 to 3 minutes) a solution to one of the social issues in the categories listed.

The format of the video presentation is simple: the presenter has 2-3 minutes to tell a story about the idea to illustrate the opportunity for social entrepreneurism:

Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change.

Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to move in different directions.

They are visionaries, but also realists, and are ultimately concerned with the practical implementation of their vision above all else.

Social entrepreneurs present user-friendly, understandable, and ethical ideas that engage widespread support in order to maximize the number of citizens that will stand up, seize their idea, and implement it. Leading social entrepreneurs are mass recruiters of local change makers— role models proving that citizens who channel their ideas into action can do almost anything.

 Why 'Social' Entrepreneur?

Just as entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss to improve systems, invent new approaches, and create solutions to change society for the better. While a business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries, a social entrepreneur develops innovative solutions to social problems and then implements them on a large scale.

 A social entrepreneur can also be defined as a person who uses business to solve social issues.

 

 

Historical Examples of Leading Social Entrepreneurs:

• Susan B. Anthony (U.S.): Fought for Women's Rights in the United States, including the right to control property and helped spearhead adoption of the 19th amendment.
• Vinoba Bhave (India): Founder and leader of the Land Gift Movement, he caused the redistribution of more than 7,000,000 acres of land to aid India's untouchables and landless.
• Dr. Maria Montessori (Italy): Developed the Montessori approach to early childhood education.
• Florence Nightingale (U.K.): Founder of modern nursing, she established the first school for nurses and fought to improve hospital conditions.
• John Muir (U.S.): Naturalist and conservationist, he established the National Park System and helped found The Sierra Club.
• Jean Monnet (France): Responsible for the reconstruction of the French economy following World War II, including the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC and the European Common Market were direct precursors of the European Union.

Other Social Entrepreneurs

Khan Academy: revolutionized education with simple instructional videos. Salman Khan developed short instructional videos to teach students in a simple way. They now offer 3,400 videos that reach 10 million students! It is “a free world-class education for anyone anywhere.”

Jane Chen: Embrace: Jane Chen teamed up with grad students in computer science, electrical engineering and material science to develop a device that keeps low-birth-weight babies warm even when the electricity in hospitals and clinics fails. The "Thermpod" looks like a miniature sleeping bag and provides a lifesaving four to six hours of heat on a single 30-minute charge. Thermpod has saved the lives of hundred of babies in China and India.

Scott Harrison is a former New York City nightclub promoter who was shocked at how much money his "beautiful people" friends were wasting on booze. So for his 31st birthday he asked them to skip the champagne and instead donate money for clean drinking water. In one night he raised $15,000, enough for three wells in Uganda. Five years later Harrison's charity: Water has provided drinking water to more than 2 million people through 4,282 projects in 19 countries. By January he will have raised $60 million: just a drop in the bucket compared with the $2.5 billion he hopes to raise by 2020.

 

 

Making an effective pitch begins with having a strong grasp of its 5 major components. All components are needed; leaving a component out will create a gap in the story you are trying to tell. The five components simply answer the questions: what is the problem? What is the solution? Who will it help? What resources are needed? How can we sustain this initiative? (resources). This includes:

1. The Opportunity and value proposition
2. The target customer
3. The business model
4. The resource requirements
5. The Call to Action

Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 3100 Main, Main Auditorium at 2:00pm

For more information, call the Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives: 713-718-7441

 

The 2015 Elevator Pitch Competition winners:

• First Prize: $1,500 -- Chase Copeland
• Second Prize: $1,000 -- Jaron Moore
• Third Prize: $500 -- Alice Frempong

See their winning entries.

Check out the finalists.

About the competition

Rules & Eligibility

• Must be a currently enrolled HCC studen

Pitch

1. Must be in video format (no word docs, pictures, applications etc.)
2. Must be appropriate for a professional setting (no nudity, swearing, derogatory notions etc.)
3. Video submissions must be AT LEAST 30 seconds in length Video submissions can be AT MOST 3 minutes in length
4. No copyrighted materials unless permission has been granted
5. An Individual is only allowed to pitch up to three times Identical pitches may not be submitted in multiple categories
6. If two people pitch an identical idea, they will both be judged objectively; however only one will be a finalist

Group Pitches

1. Group pitches are allowed, but only one name is submitted with the pitch
2. A group pitch only counts as one pitch
3. A specific group can make as many pitches as their members times three

e.g. if 3 people pitched, those 3 people can pitch up to 9 times

*Failure to comply with these rules will result in disqualification of the pitch.

Sponsored by Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives, 3100 Main, Houston 77002

Pitch Competition Defined

• A pitch competition is a powerful and disciplined format to present a new idea or a new approach. The Pitch provides a vehicle for describing in a clear and concise manner (2 to 3 minutes) a solution to one of the social issues in the categories listed.

  The format of the video presentation is simple: the presenter has 2-3 minutes to tell a story about the idea to illustrate the opportunity for social entrepreneurism:

  Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change.

  Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to move in different directions.

  They are visionaries, but also realists, and are ultimately concerned with the practical implementation of their vision above all else.

  Social entrepreneurs present user-friendly, understandable, and ethical ideas that engage widespread support in order to maximize the number of citizens that will stand up, seize their idea, and implement it. Leading social entrepreneurs are mass recruiters of local change makers— role models proving that citizens who channel their ideas into action can do almost anything.

   Why 'Social' Entrepreneur?

  Just as entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss to improve systems, invent new approaches, and create solutions to change society for the better. While a business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries, a social entrepreneur develops innovative solutions to social problems and then implements them on a large scale.

   A social entrepreneur can also be defined as a person who uses business to solve social issues.

Historical examples of leading social entrepreneurs

• Susan B. Anthony (U.S.): Fought for Women's Rights in the United States, including the right to control property and helped spearhead adoption of the 19th amendment.
• Vinoba Bhave (India): Founder and leader of the Land Gift Movement, he caused the redistribution of more than 7,000,000 acres of land to aid India's untouchables and landless.
• Dr. Maria Montessori (Italy): Developed the Montessori approach to early childhood education.
• Florence Nightingale (U.K.): Founder of modern nursing, she established the first school for nurses and fought to improve hospital conditions.
• John Muir (U.S.): Naturalist and conservationist, he established the National Park System and helped found The Sierra Club.
• Jean Monnet (France): Responsible for the reconstruction of the French economy following World War II, including the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC and the European Common Market were direct precursors of the European Union.
• Other Social Entrepreneurs
• Khan Academy: revolutionized education with simple instructional videos. Salman Khan developed short instructional videos to teach students in a simple way. They now offer 3,400 videos that reach 10 million students! It is “a free world-class education for anyone anywhere.”
• Jane Chen: Embrace: Jane Chen teamed up with grad students in computer science, electrical engineering and material science to develop a device that keeps low-birth-weight babies warm even when the electricity in hospitals and clinics fails. The "Thermpod" looks like a miniature sleeping bag and provides a lifesaving four to six hours of heat on a single 30-minute charge. Thermpod has saved the lives of hundred of babies in China and India.
• Scott Harrison is a former New York City nightclub promoter who was shocked at how much money his "beautiful people" friends were wasting on booze. So for his 31st birthday he asked them to skip the champagne and instead donate money for clean drinking water. In one night he raised $15,000, enough for three wells in Uganda. Five years later Harrison's charity: Water has provided drinking water to more than 2 million people through 4,282 projects in 19 countries. By January he will have raised $60 million: just a drop in the bucket compared with the $2.5 billion he hopes to raise by 2020.

Effective pitches

• Making an effective pitch begins with having a strong grasp of its 5 major components. All components are needed; leaving a component out will create a gap in the story you are trying to tell. The five components simply answer the questions: what is the problem? What is the solution? Who will it help? What resources are needed? How can we sustain this initiative? (resources). This includes:

  1. The Opportunity and value proposition
  2. The target customer
  3. The business model
  4. The resource requirements
  5. The Call to Action

  Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 3100 Main, Main Auditorium at 2:00pm

  For more information, call the Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives: 713-718-7441