Pitching for Cash

After months of preparation, the CEED/U.S. Bank Pitch-Off Contest was held in December. The event, in its second year, had 28 teams from four colleges and divisions across campus competing for prize money sponsored by U.S. Bank. Over 50 students, ranging from a Ph.D. candidate to a senior from Highland High School, pitched their entrepreneurial ideas in a 10-minute presentation to a panel of 21 judges from campus, business and civic organizations.

The winning team this year came from a student team proposing a self-cleaning baby changer station for public restrooms. The all-female student team presented a working prototype of the automated device and a compelling pitch to take it to market. The team won $2,000 for the best idea. They also won $250 for the best prototype, built by the College of Technology under the direction of the team. In total, nearly $10,000 was awarded by U.S. Bank to winning teams. Open to all students on campus, this U.S. Bank ‘pitch-off’ event, organized by the College of Business’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) program, helped incentivize young entrepreneurs to polish up their eventual application to the statewide $100,000 Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge held each March in Boise.