QC Pitch Competition

QC PITCH COMPETITION

The QC Pitch Competition is organized by the Queens College Blackstone LaunchPad every spring.

It is an advanced pitch competition.

Awards                Winners $8,000

                              2nd          $4,000

                              3rd          $2,000

The concept of the competition is that you try to come up with an idea for a new business. It is as if you want to create a start-up. The objective then is for you to convince investors that your idea will be successful.

Rules:

1/ Applicants must be a current student (undergraduate or graduate-level)

2/ It is open to all majors and to all students without a major

3/ In these pitch competitions, you must create a team of 2 to 5 students.

4/ For each track, the competition is organized in two rounds

  • In the first round, teams have a mentor to help them to provide a four parts deck, separated in different weeks.
  • Three teams will be selected for the second round. They will have additional mentors. For two weeks they will have to provide a more advanced deck and a presentation.

If you are interest and you want to enroll,

send an email to Luc Marest at luc.marest@qc.cuny.edu

Preparation from February 8 to March 3

1/ You have the opportunity to contact Luc Marest, Campus Director of QC Blackstone LaunchPad and Lecturer at the Economics Department and talk about your project.

2/ Become a user of Startup Tree, the platform Blackstone is using: go to Feed | CUNY Queens College (startuptree.co) and you can sign up at the top right. It will give you the possibility to participate to a wide range of workshops or other activities related to not only entrepreneurship and also career development.

3/ For students who does not have a team, contact Luc Marest. We will organize sessions in which students can meet to create teams, in-person and virtual.

Round 1

Phase 1: provide by Monday March 4 a Pitch Deck about Problem and solution:

State the problem or opportunity in a market. Provide the solution: the product with its design or service.

Phase 2: provide by Monday March 11 a Pitch Deck about Customer Discovery:

Show who may be your customers and show traction with numbers and graphs

Phase 3: provide by Monday March 18 a Pitch Deck about Competitive Advantage:

What sets you apart from competitors?

Phase 4: provide by Monday April 1 a Pitch Deck about Business Model:

How do you make money with this business?

Rules for Round 1

  • Judges will determine the quality of the work and grade.
  • A Pitch Deck is composed of around 5 to 6 PowerPoint slides, not more.
  • For each slide, don’t put too much material. It has to be clear and right to the point.
  • Graphs and numbers are important.
  • You are always welcome to come to see Luc Marest at PH306H to discuss your project.

Round 2

At the end of these four phases, the three best teams will be selected for the second round.

1/ They will have to provide a Pitch Deck including the four parts from the first round similar to the four parts they worked on but more advanced.

2/ There will be a presentation online or in-person before April 17.

3/ Winners will be declared in the week between April 17 and April 19.