Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Events & Competitions

The Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship organizes and sponsors events that are relevant to entrepreneurially-minded students, including Launch Champlain and the Elevator Pitch.

• Elevator Pitch Competition

  Get Ready to Pitch!

  Champlain College’s Career Collaborative, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and the Office of Institutional Advancement collaborate to present the Annual Elevator Pitch Competition held during spring semester. The contest invites participating students to give their 90-second “pitch” to an executive (dubbed the “suit”) as they ride together in a fictional elevator. There are three categories of competition:

  • Entrepreneurs/Game Developers
  • Job/Internship Seekers
  • Advocates

  The event is patterned on a national competition and teaches students the importance of presenting a “big idea” as succinctly and convincingly as possible. The competition is open to all years and majors. Support and coaching is available from about a dozen volunteer coaches─faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the College.

  Why enter this year’s Elevator Pitch?

  1. To learn essential communications and networking skills.
  2. To gain self-confidence.
  3. Maybe win some serious CASH!
     • Three $500 first-place prizes
     • $2,700 total in cash prizes
  4. Students can fulfill an InSight Career à la Carte milestone.
  5. Have some FUN!

  Cash Incentives

  What’s the incentive—besides learning an important life skill? Quite simply it’s cash—$2,700 in all-with three $500 first prizes. Second and third-place prizes of $300 and $100 will also be awarded in each of the three pitch categories. Additional prizes of gift certificates to local restaurants are also up for grabs to contestants who earn the “audience favorite” vote.

  For further information about the Elevator Pitch Competition, contact:

  • Pat Boera, Career Collaborative, boerap@champlain.edu, (802) 651-5991
• Launch Champlain Competition

  Champlain College students with a business OR business idea (operating business is not necessary) may enter the Launch Champlain competition and present their business idea to a panel of judges. The winner(s) receive the opportunity to represent Champlain in the Generator and LaunchVT Jump/Start program, as well as cash prizes.

  Why compete in Launch Champlain?

  In addition to receiving financial support (with $3,000 in prize money available at this event), it’s a great way to sharpen your idea and learn how to pitch it effectively in order to raise capital and attract both talent and supporters. Mentoring is provided throughout the entire process.

  How do you compete?

  Competitors will have ten minutes to present their idea. Presentations should provide compelling answers to the following questions:

  • What is your business idea?
  • Does it solve a problem? For whom?
  • How does your business idea work?
  • How does it fit into today’s market?
  • What makes this idea unique from the competition?
  • How will you execute?
  • How do you plan to use the prize money to advance your business idea?

  I am interested. What’s next?

  To find out more or to enter Launch Champlain, contact Pat Patel, Program Director of CIE at cie@champlain.edu.

• Generator and LaunchVT Jump/Start

  Jump/Start is a product-focused nine-week program designed to connect very early-stage makers with the resources they need to turn their product prototypes into market-ready businesses. JumpStart provides a comprehensive business development program, one-on-one expert mentoring, sophisticated prototyping tool-sets, technical training, free workspace, and more.

  Learn more about Jump/Start.