Pitch Your Ideas to Investors & Business Owners!
All CSUSB Students Are Welcome to Compete
The Student Fast Pitch Competition is an innovative program offered by the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) that gives CSUSB students an opportunity to jump-start their entrepreneurial dreams by presenting their business ventures to a panel of investors and entrepreneurs. The annual competition consists of up to 15 student entrepreneurs giving 90-second fast pitches to a panel of investors and other members of Southern California's entrepreneurial community. Each fast pitch is judged for the quality of the presentation and its investment potential.
This year's semifinal event will be held on November 14, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. at Garner Holt Productions in Redlands. The finalist pitches will be made at the 2024 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards on November 21 at the Riverside Convention Center to an audience of nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs and business leaders!
JOIN US NOV 14 & Witness the Top 5 Finalists That Will Take the Stage! - REGISTER TO ATTEND
Pitch a Business or Product in 90-Seconds for a Chance to Win!
Entering the Fast Pitch Competition is easy! All you need to do is:
Enter your online application along with up to a 250-word summary of your proposed business concept. You will be notified directly after the entry deadline has been reached if you are selected to be one of the 15-20 students to compete at the semi-qualifying event. At the qualifying event, you will present to our panel of judges (comprised of investors and entrepreneurs). From there they will determine and select the top 5 students who will receive additional mentoring and coaching in preparation of making their pitch at the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards gala held in November.
Learn What it's Like to Pitch to Investors and Entrepreneurs!
Submit Entry - Submit Your Entry!
Join Us for the Fast Pitch Semi-Final Qualifying Event!
Fast Pitch Finalists Will Take the Stage at the Spirit Awards
Learn More - Fast Pitch at the Spirit Awards
Garner Holt: Supporting the Dreams of Future Entrepreneurs
/ Student Fast Pitch - The Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition is open to all students at Cal State San Bernardino. Entries are accepted all year. Spring entries are given early consideration.
/ Fast Pitch Finalists are Featured at a Black-Tie Gala - The Top 5 finalists from the Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition will deliver their final 90-second pitch presentations on stage at the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards gala to a live-voting audience that determines the top winner and gets your idea heard in an auditorium full of entrepreneurs!
/ Entrepreneur Garner Holt - Garner Holt is the founder of Garner Holt Productions, the world’s leading producer of animatronic figures and theme show attractions with its creations featured in Disneyland parks, Universal Studios, and many more high-profile businesses. He continues to show his dedication to the Spirit of Entrepreneurship and the community every year by sponsoring the Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition
What Happens After I Enter?
All student entries will be evaluated by a panel of experts from Cal State San Bernardino's Entrepreneurship program.
From the entries, we will select up to 15-20 students as semi-finalists who will receive mentoring and coaching in preparation of making a 90-second pitch to a panel of investors at the qualifying event.
At that event, 5 finalists will be chosen to make a final pitch at the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards gala, at which time the cash prizes will be awarded!
Criteria
The following criteria must be followed to enter the Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition:
- All students entering must be currently enrolled at Cal State San Bernardino at the undergraduate or graduate level.
- All students will pitch proposed business ideas or businesses that have been in operation less than 1 year.
- All submitted materials must be the original work of the student.
The Fast Pitch Review Committee reserves the right to reject any business idea for the following reasons:
- Deemed to be in violation of the CSUSB Code of Ethics.
- Violates any local, state or national law.
- Appears to be pornographic in nature.