By ALAN HOSKINS
Prices totaling $5,000 will be awarded in the State Street Perfect Pitch competition that will highlight the Second Annual Innovation Summit to be held at Kansas City Kansas Community College this coming April.
To be held Friday, April 5, the Summit is designed to inspire entrepreneurs, individuals and educators to introduce new innovations by connecting people and organizations in the discovery of new ideas.
Open to the public, the Summit will be held from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Jewell Center on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.
State Street Corporation, a leading financial services provider serving some of the world’s most sophisticated institutions, is partnering with KCKCC to sponsor the Perfect Pitch competition designed to give participants the opportunity to pitch their innovative business plans to a group of investors, bankers and venture capitalists.
There will be two divisions of competition – one for high school students ages 14-18 and one for the general public age 19 and over. State Street will award a total of $5,000 among the first and second places winners in each division as chosen by expert judges and venture capitalists.
The qualification round for the State Street Perfect Pitch will be held Thursday, March 7. To participate, individuals must contact Jay Matlack at 913-288-7210 or jmatlack@kckcc.edu.
The final competition April 5 will have two stages. The first will consist of an elevator pitch exhibit where each pitch participant will have a display table where summit attendees will visit and invest allotted Monopoly money in the elevator pitches they like best.
The top six Monopoly money earners will then advance to the finals where they will have three minutes to pitch their business plan ideas to a select group of investors, capitalists and bankers.
In addition to the State Street Perfect Pitch competition, the Summit will feature presentations by four local innovators and a keynote speaker, all of whom will be announced in February. A special attraction will be a display of innovative General Motors vehicles in the KCKCC parking area.
Organized by Workforce Development at KCKCC, Summit sponsors include State Street, Kansas Small Business Development Center (JCCC), Women’s Business Center, Wyandotte Economic Development Council, UMKC, KCK Black Chamber, KCSource Link, Youth Entrepreneurs in Kansas, Leavenworth County Development Corporation and the KCK Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
Cost for admission to the Innovation Summit is $10 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch.
Early advanced registration is recommended by contacting KCKCC Workforce Development at 913-288-7210 or jmatack@kckcc.edu.
