Business Pitch Competition Like ‘Shark Tank’ Coming to Quad Cities

Yavapai College Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and Moonshot Az are proud to announce that the AZ Pioneer Pitch State-Wide Tour – an entrepreneurship contest similar to ABC’s Shark Tank – is coming back to the Quad Cities as part of the fourth annual tour.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur with a moonshot start-up idea or a seasoned founder with a business you’d like to expand, participation in the event hones your business skills and assists in moving your business forward.

The final event will be held on Feb. 24, at the Yavapai College Prescott Campus. Entrants must apply at azpioneerpitch.org/quad-cities by Feb. 1. There is a $35 fee to participate. Local prize packages for the top three winners are as follows:

First place

• $1,500
• A year membership to the Prescott Chamber of Commerce
• AND a chance to compete at the state-level competition in July!

Second place

• $1,000

Third place

• $500

In addition to competing to win cash prizes and Moonshot scholarships, entrants will also receive start-up and pitch education led by SBDC Director Ruth Ellen Elinski and her team of business analysts. Workshops will run from 5-7 p.m., Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22. Participants will be prompted to sign up for the workshops after completing the online application.

“I am honored to be working alongside Moonshot Az in support of area entrepreneurs and to bring this competition back to the Quad Cities in Yavapai County,” Elinski said. “Having one of our very own entrepreneurs, Elaine O’Connor of Prescott Bark, win the state competition last year, capturing the grand prize of $10,000, we know that Yavapai County entrepreneurs are competitive. We are eager to support our local businesses and start-ups for this year’s challenge.”

The competition continues to empower business owners and provides opportunities to learn new skills and strengthen their business overall. Participants prepare, practice and perfect a five-minute pitch presentation for a panel of judges who select the finalists. The winner of the Quad Cities Pioneer Pitch Competition will go on to compete in the state-wide competition for a $10,000 cash prize from sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Arizona Commerce Authority. The final event, which also honors successful Moonshot entrepreneurs throughout Arizona, will be held in Flagstaff at Little America Hotel in July 2023. QCBN

Courtesy Photo: SBDC Director Ruth Ellen Elinski teaches entrepreneurs how to pitch their ideas.