In anticipation of the 40th Annual National Black MBA Conference and Exposition, The National Black MBA Association® announces today regional dates for the 2018 Scale-Up Pitch Challenge. Challenging members to “Make Big Ideas Bigger,” the competition invites professionals to submit a pitch application, with the participants having the opportunity to pitch their innovative yet scalable startup business ideas to a group of judges – including early-stage investors, venture capitalists, and diverse business executives. Regional competitions will take place in Atlanta on Friday, August 10, and in Los Angeles on Friday, August 17, in advance of the National Black MBA Conference and Exposition in Detroit Tuesday, September 25, through Saturday, September 29.
Participants from each region will live pitch their ideas to a panel of judges in Atlanta and Los Angeles, with hopes of advancing to the semi-finals and finals on Thursday, September 27, at the NBMBAA® 40th Annual Conference and Exposition Scale Up-Pitch Challenge featuring Frederick W. Smith, founder, and CEO of FedEx. The grand prize winner will receive $50,000, accompanied by a $ 10,000-second place prize and $2,500 People’s Choice award – investments to help aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their goals.
Launched in 2017, the Scale-Up Pitch Challenge works to satisfy the NBMBAA® 2020 Vision of awarding 2 million dollars in business grants to members. The 2017 winner, Atima Lui, subsequently made the 2018 FYI: FedEx Young Innovators List following last year’s Conference, where her winning pitch featured Nudest; her company built around “Nudemeter” technology, matching a woman’s skin tone to one of 54 in its system to perfect-match products such as lingerie and hosiery – and improving confidence of dark-skinned women and girls.
The deadline for regional competition entry is July 22nd. For more information on the Scale-Up Pitch Challenge entry and the 40th Annual National Black MBA Conference and Exposition, please visit www.nbmbaa.org.
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