Pitch-In

701 Ellicott Street,Buffalo NY 14203

07 June, 2022

Description

Join us for 3 pitches, followed by Q+A, and feedback directly to the founders. Help companies get stronger and get started. A fast moving and fun pitch event, designed to engage, inspire, and improve the quality of companies in our startup community. Three early-stage Founders will give their companies pitch, then answer your questions. Then you provide feedback and offer to connect if you're interested in the company through a private web form. Format: 5 Minutes to Pitch 5 Minutes of Moderated Q&A 5 Minutes to fill out Feedback Form. Networking from 5:30-6pm, speakers start promptly at 6pm, and we wrap up the event at 7pm. Get better quicker! Are you a founder with an idea? How about an entrepreneur stumped by roadblocks? Love to give feedback and pay-it-forward? Want to work for a startup? Pitch to fellow founders on the first Tuesday of every month and get instant feedback. Sign up now for this event. BootSector is proud to host this conversation building our community. If you want to pitch, please submit your deck by Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Instructions below. On Wednesday, June 1 from 4pm to 5:30pm at BootSector, we'll also hold open office hours for anyone who would like feedback on the pitch they're submitting. BootSector will select 3 presenters with the best pitch decks. FAQs Do I need to register even though the event is free? Yes, since pitching slots and seating are limited. We're taking registrations on a first-come first-serve basis. Please register now, and tell us whether you'd like to pitch! Where is the building and suite? This event is happening in the Incubator @ CBLS—located inside the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus at 701 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY. What are my parking options? Free on-street parking begins at 5pm, or use the lot on Ellicott Street across from the Innovation Center. What's the format of Pitch-In? If you're an upcoming founder with an idea, you get 5 minutes to pitch it.If you're an entrepreneur with a startup, you get 5 minutes to pitch it and cover current roadblocks (e.g. funding, talent, tools, culture, etc.).After the pitch, there's a 5 minute feedback period with the audience, helping to refine ideas or open new avenues.There's no better place to meet a co-founder, find a job, or break down the barriers to new startups. You're not the only person confronting an issue. Chances are, someone can help.Come prepared with your pitch and your thinking cap. Learn from your community!What's the night-of schedule? Tuesday, June 7, 2022 5:30pm Networking and Refreshments 6:00pm Pitch, Feedback, Repeat 7:00pm Pitching Wraps Up Later: Take your conversation to Ulrich's across Ellicott Street I want to pitch! How do I participate? Please register now for an "I want to pitch" ticket. We have limited pitch slots to honor everyone's time. By Wednesday, February 25, 2015, email these items to [email protected] with the subject "Pitch In June 2022": Pitch Deck Square Logo Your "Ask" On Wednesday, June 1 from 4pm to 5:30pm at BootSector we'll hold open office hours for you to practice your pitch and get feedback. First come, first serve. There are no guarantees we'll select you if you come, but you're sure to get feedback before the big night! We'll vet your deck, tell you if you're selected and schedule you for a slot. If you're an alternate, please come to Pitch-In to capitalize on a no-show. Anyone can revise and apply for next month too. Show up on time the night of Pitch-In, give it your best shot, and listen well during Q&A. Suggestions: Please be specific in your "ask." You can ask for help on tech, operations, law, accounting, investor perspective, consumer reactions, marketing, user experience, team mates, co-founders... really anything. Please also make sure you fit your pitch into 5 minutes. We have to be hard on this to be fair to others. Practice! Please do not make a pitch to sell the audience on using your existing products or services. Pitch-In is an event to try out new things and get you past road-blocks. Although we prefer scalable business models, we will review all submissions. We also like variety. We'll line up your pitch deck on a laptop and projector ahead of time. Please use PowerPoint, Keynote, PDF, or the URL of your pitch (e.g. Prezi). Please don't expect sound since we're not using a PA. Technical glitches can happen; how do you recover? Remember, launching into a conversation with your engaged audience is the goal. Give them something to ask for more. Don't pack-in overwhelming detail. We already know you're the expert. Consider bringing someone to take notes for you during Q&A, so you can focus on the audience for 5 minutes. Looking for inspiration? Try PitchEnvy. If you don't get a chance to pitch, please sign up for the next Pitch-In on the first Tuesday of the next month. Thanks for your bravery! You can continue feedback after 7pm with anyone interested by taking your conversation to the pub across the street. We’ll keep revising the format of this event each month, to raise your exposure and the value of your dialog. I've never pitched before. What outline would you suggest? If you don’t have a pitch deck, that’s OK. Please make one. Here’s an outline that covers the typical topics you should cover. With luck, this will get you past your audience’s typical questions, and into the meat of a better conversation. Intro – Who are you, what’s your startup name, and what stage are you at? Anyone age 8-80 should get it. Problem – Why is there a need? A really short story to put the audience in your customer’s shoes Solution – How do you make it better? Market – Total Size; target part you serve; what’s unique about you? Team – Your role and others; who are you looking for? Financials – Real brief: capital needed; how long until cash flow break-even; how much profit by year X? Ask – Specifically, what obstacles must you overcome next? Not just money. Please be clear up front about your "ask." Omit parts that don't apply to your pitch. I've pitched before. Can I go again? Yes! Practice helps. I'm not ready to pitch yet. Can I go next month? We'd love for you to get the audience's feedback on what you've already got. Why not go this month and next month, and get that much better? What if I'm a supporter? Come on out! We need your advice. Whether you're a battle-hardened technologist, an ace attorney, or a student with ambition, sometimes your fresh pairs of eyes and ears help a friend more than anything else.