MACON/ATLANTA – The Mercer Innovation Center is seeking students with innovative business concepts and ideas for Mercer University’s annual Elevator Pitch competition. The competition is open to all currently enrolled Mercer students on all campuses regardless of their program of study. Both an undergraduate and graduate winner will be chosen, each receiving a $500 prize.
“Elevator pitch competitions are an exciting way for participants to outline a business opportunity in a clear and precise way,” said Dr. Marko Horn, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship in the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business. “The idea is that you have the attention of an important person only for a very limited time, such as in an elevator that travels from the first to the 20th floor. Learning to “pitch” something of importance in this way is an important life skill that our students will apply outside of the entrepreneurial context as well.”
Any type of idea will be accepted and considered in the competition, including social ventures, ideas for tech startups, or even small businesses that are already up and running.
“Our Elevator Pitch competition is an opportunity for students in all 12 colleges to be exposed to entrepreneurship and consider alternative career paths to developing a business idea,” said Dr. Julie Petherbridge, dean of the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business.
Submissions are due by Oct. 1, and finalists will be notified on Oct. 6. The finalists will then present their ideas live via Zoom to a panel of judges on Oct. 12 from 6-8 p.m. Students are invited to submit registration materials as well as an approximately two-minute video of their idea to the Mercer University Elevator Pitch Competition Canvas course. For more information, please contact nextbigidea@mercer.edu.
About the Mercer Innovation Center
The Mercer Innovation Center is an initiative by Mercer University, along with community partners, to advance a culture of innovation and develop a thriving community of entrepreneurs, with a focus on utilizing technology to foster economic growth, create 21st century jobs and attract and retain talent. The Center is an institutional effort – led by the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business – that crosses academic disciplines and geographic boundaries to draw from all of the University’s colleges, schools, departments and operating units. Community memberships are available, as the Center’s activities and resources, housed in the Smisson Complex on the Macon campus, are available to Mercer students and non-students alike. Learn more at mic.mercer.edu.