Cleveland State Community College to host Shark Tank-style pitch competition at entrepreneurship event

Cleveland State Community College is hosting an entrepreneurship event in March that will include a vendor expo, panels, a student pitch competition, and a community pitch competition.

In an article on Cleveland State Community College’s website, Rick Platz, who is the George R. Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Advisory Board Chairman, said of the upcoming event, “We all know how important early financial support can be for small business start-ups. This is a great opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. Apply now to compete for $7,500!”

The community pitch competition is open to local businesses that have been in operation for anywhere from six months to two years and are located in Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, or Polk counties. The pitch competition is inspired by the TV show Shark Tank and the top three winning pitches will receive seed money for their businesses.

The entrepreneurship event is sponsored by Cleveland State Community College’s George R. Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Lynn Jones Foundation, which is funding the competition’s prize money, the Cleveland Bradley Business Incubator, and the Small Business Development Center. The George R. Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is focused on encouraging and helping budding entrepreneurs to succeed in their ventures and is the home to the entrepreneurship concentration of the Business degree at the college. 

In order to enter the community pitch competition, applications must be submitted by Friday, February 2. The community pitch competition will take place on March 5 at 6pm at the George R. Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 

For more information about Cleveland State Community College, visit the school’s website.