elevator-pitch

The Weston Career Center at Olin Business School is not sitting on the sideline, waiting for the economy to recover, campus recruiting to pick up and unemployment to drop. Instead, the career center team has gone on the offensive to help students find jobs in non-traditional markets and help them learn how to market themselves and network in new ways. 

Seven entrepreneurs enter the final round of the Olin Cup business plan competition this month as they vie for $75,000 in seed money. Ken Harrington, managing director of the Skandalaris Center, co-sponsor of the Olin Cup, emceed the recent “Elevator Pitch” event where 17 semi-finalists had two minutes each to present their business plans. The teams presented privately in front of 16 judges, then presented publicly in front of an audience. Harrington said, “the judges, audience, and I were very impressed with the quality of this year’s pitches and ideas. We look forward to the next phase in the competition and seeing their full business plans.” Winners will be announced in February. Video report on the competition included.

The Olin Cup Competition, the annual business formation contest at Washington University in St. Louis, is taking the contest to the people. On Thursday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m., fourteen semi-finalists will present their business proposals in an “elevator pitch” first to a panelist of judges and then for an audience. Audience members will then vote on which pitch should win.