Have an idea in your head? On a napkin? In your phone notes? Elevation Pitch: Idea Jam by Founder Institute Colorado and Bold Legal gives you permission to bring half-baked ideas for the chance to polish them up and win $2,000 cash.
A "Judgment-Free Space"
Spencer Ingram of West Slope Works, a network for West Slope job seekers, says this is the perfect “judgment-free space” for idea-havers:
Events like Elevation Pitch are critical to advancing entrepreneurship in our communities because it creates a judgment-free space for people bubbling with ideas, but who may not yet identify as an entrepreneur.
Participation Optional, Fun Mandatory
- This three-part, online event series is more like speed dating for ideas than Shark Tank. It’s casual, fun, and not out of your league!
- Already have $10k+ in revenue or investment? Check out the Greater Colorado Pitch Series and fight ideas your own size!
- You don’t have to pay for the date, either. The only cost of entry is an idea, or an interest in learning about pitching and hearing ideas coming out of the Mountain West.
The events are designed to prepare you for the (optional) Elevation Pitch competition; however, they are great standalone events to learn about pitching and be exposed to new ideas whether you choose to participate or not.
Idea Jam #1: What Makes a Good Idea?
The first Idea Jam is “What Makes a Good Idea,” a workshop designed to teach the components of good and bad startup ideas. Attendees will share their ideas to receive constructive feedback, improve them, come up with new ideas, determine next steps, and even recruit potential co-founders.
- This is a great opportunity to seek free advice from the world’s leading experts in idea development at Founder Institute, which has turned thousands of ideas into full-fledged companies through its world-renowned accelerator program.
- Don’t be intimidated though - the “world’s best” know more than anyone that all great ideas begin as rough drafts scribbled on napkins, in phone notes, and nagging at the back of minds. This is your chance to finally get it on paper. Remember:
An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea. - Buddha
Adeo Ressi, Co-founder and CEO of Founder Institute, preaches a list of “10 Rules to a Great Startup Idea,” saying that if you can check off these ten items, your chances of success are favorable. These rules, coupled with FI’s “Startup Mad Libs” help attendees play around with ideas and hone their one-sentence pitch - a necessary first step.
FI Co-founder Jonathan Greechan says you don’t have to sound smart to pitch well:
One of the biggest problems we see with early idea stage founders is that they can’t get out of their own way when describing their business or idea. With an elevator pitch, your goal is not to impress people with how smart you are - your one and only goal is to create a shared understanding with your audience so that time isn’t spent trying to understand what you do.
RSVP below and watch the last workshop for a preview.
RSVP to Idea Jam #1.
Idea Jam #2: What Makes a Good Pitch?
The second Idea Jam is “What Makes a Good Pitch,” where attendees will learn how to form and deliver a great Elevator Pitch from experienced entrepreneurs, and then apply that learning to pitch both experts and peers to receive constructive feedback. Even if you don't want to pitch, you are invited to register, learn the best practices of pitching, and watch how the experts analyze and critique new businesses.
Talking to as many people as possible is a key step in validating your idea, and is part of Founder Institute’s “3 Steps to Find Amazing Company Ideas.”
Delaney Keating, Executive Director of Startup Colorado, says this is a great way to see if your idea is viable, while supporting the larger entrepreneurial community:
We can't have startups or strong small business communities without bold ideas. Idea-stage pitch events, like the Elevation Pitch, are essential to celebrating the catalytic moment of a potentially viable idea and our creative capacity as human beings.
RSVP to Idea Jam #2.
Idea Jam #3: Pitch Day
The Idea Jam concludes with the final event, the Elevation Pitch Competition on July 27th. The best part? It’s only for idea-stagers, so no sandbaggers are allowed in this race. The BEST best part? $2,000 cash and a free fellowship to Founder Institute Colorado - a startup accelerator that turns ideas into businesses. Plus, tons of freebies and discounts from businesses that want to help you find your next steps.
Students, Want Fast Cash?
Have an idea from a class project or a dream you had last night? Shoot your shot for fast cash! Tom Benton, Director of the Maverick Innovation Center at Colorado Mesa University, encourages students to get their ideas out for discussion:
The value of getting ideas out for discussion is absolutely essential. Tossing ideas out early is our ‘safe space’ to come up with unconventional ideas regardless of whether or not they turn out to be plausible.
APPLY TO PITCH
RSVP TO WATCH
- These events are part of Elevation Pitch by FI Colorado and Bold Legal, a series of virtual “Idea Jams” designed to give Mountain Westerners a no-pressure outlet to bounce ideas off each other and start putting them into action.
- If you don’t have an idea, no worries! Everyone is invited to the Idea Jam party! You are encouraged to join all three events to hear the ideas coming out of the Mountain West region and learn the best practices of pitching.
- Anyone with an idea (or startup with <$10K in funding or revenue) is eligible to apply to compete in the third and final Idea Jam, the Elevation Pitch competition. The best five pitches will be selected to compete in a live virtual competition with a $2,000 cash prize plus other resources to move your idea forward.
- Learn more at www.ElevationPitch.com
