Fort Worth Entrepreneurs Compete During Business Plan Competition, Pitch Night

Arlington TX

08 May, 2022

7:18 PM

Description

By Seth Bodine, Fort Worth Report May 7, 2022 An independent marketing and SEO firm, a film production business and a tech startup aiming to deter bias in the hiring process won the City of Fort Worth's Business Plan Competition on May 5. The competition pits 20 businesses – all between two and five years old and making under $500,000 – against each other as they develop a business plan and receive coaching over the course of several months. It culminates into one night where eight finalists pitch their ideas to a panel of judges for cash prizes. The panel evaluates the contestants based on answers to questions and their pitch. Some pitches included giving judges their own Polaroid cameras or baskets of popcorn. Others involved ripping up a resume.Lauren Kutschke, a SEO copywriter and founder of Salted Pages, received the first place prize of $10,000 and an invitation to talk with Mayor Mattie Parker on her podcast. Judges such as Ori Fernandez, Fort Worth's assistant director of economic development, said Kutschke's pitch stood out for its personality and marketability. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.