Pictured are this year's Elevator Pitch Competition winners
(from left to right) Chelsea Hytla, Shanice Cheatham,
Michael George and Catherine LaSpina.

The third annual Kent State University Elevator Pitch Competition took place on Thursday, Oct. 15, at University Library on the Kent Campus. More than 30 Kent State students each presented a 90-second “elevator pitch” for either a business idea or their personal brand inside a library elevator for a panel of judges. A diverse and talented group of students from a variety of majors made it difficult for the judges to choose winners. The panel of judges included Kent State faculty member Kathy Bergh and community and business leaders Brent Pfeiffer, Danielle Flemister and Andrew Tasker.

The judges awarded four pitches with $250 each.

Two Awards for Personal Pitches

Chelsea Hytla, senior managerial marketing major
Catherine LaSpina, senior chemistry major

Two Awards for Business Ventures

Shanice Cheatham for Creative Evolutions
Michael George for Growing for Good

George, a junior environmental and conservation biology major, and third-year Elevator Pitch competition participant, won for his Growing for Good business concept, a new food system making local and organic food more accessible and cheaper by renting out “unused” urban land.

“Blackstone LaunchPad's Elevator Pitch competition is such a wonderful opportunity to gain experience with pitching your business,” says George, who has participated in the competition since its inception in 2013. “For anybody who may pitch a business idea in the future, this event is one of the best ways to learn and improve your pitch.”

Kai-Han Chang, Kent State chemical
physics graduate student, delivers her
pitch in a University Library elevator
during the Elevator Pitch Competition.

Cheatham, a graduate student in environmental health studies, won the award for her wearable handwashing unit concept focused on disease prevention solutions in developing countries.

“The elevator pitch was a great experience!” Cheatham says. “To be put in a situation where you had only 90 seconds to pitch your whole business plus product really taught me the importance of knowing your vision. Without a vision, you don't even know why you are doing what you are doing. It goes beyond a business plan or executive summary. The elevator pitch allowed me to put this to the test!”

Zach Mikrut, program manager at Kent State’s Blackstone LaunchPad who led the event, was impressed by the wide variety of students who pitched.

“This is the third time we have held the Elevator Pitch competition, and I am always inspired and amazed at the breadth of majors represented and the passion the students demonstrate,” Mikrut says. “The students really use this event as a confidence builder to communicate their brand and 90-second pitch, regardless of their field of study.”

The Elevator Pitch event also featured several professional-development focused “mini-contests” throughout the evening. Winners included:

• Best Dressed: Rouhollah Shirzehhagh, Kent State MBA graduate; and Chelsea Hytla, senior managerial marketing major
• Best Business Card: Dakota Steed, sophomore, exploratory major; and Tyler Shaw, senior visual communication design major
• Best 140-character pitch (Tweet #KSUpitch): Jacob Auger, sophomore digital media production major
  

Kent State’s Blackstone LaunchPad also was supported in this event by University Libraries, the Student Multicultural Center, TeleProductions and the Career Services Center, as well as Franklin Advertising.

To learn more about Kent State’s Blackstone LaunchPad, visit www.kent.edu/blackstonelaunchpad.