The Startup Showcase
The Startup Showcase
Uni-Five Podcast
For a long time, I pondered over how we could best help entrepreneurs, particularly entrepreneurs in the African American community. Given the landscape in which we are all aware, a bevy of talent, skills, ideas, energy, and intelligence but a lack institutional springboards, especially in the realm of entrepreneurship.
I think I'm on to something. A new system, a way to support and empower entrepreneurs. I call it Uni-Five a Startup Community it's a platform for organizing Startup Showcases which are very similar to pitch competitions. However, showcases extend well beyond a normal pitch competition and everyone in a showcase can potentially walk away a winner even the host. Showcases are just that they showcase entrepreneurs and their unique business story and the problem their business solves in the world. These pitches (presentations) are made by entrepreneurs captured in video in front of a live audience. The idea is to get the whole community involved, through showcases the community is literally deciding how it lives, works and plays. After the event and the presentations are uploaded on a pitch deck landing page equipped with features to share online. As a result, pitching extends well beyond a normal competition or Showcase but can reach people anywhere and be used to uniquely engage a target customer. Sharing a pitch online can increase sales, help acquire new customers, brand or rebrand businesses, introduce new products, be used for social media marketing, and fundraise.
Our first Showcase was an inspiring event and open my eyes to new and creative ways in which we could use this platform. Pitching is not only great for new entrepreneurs but great for any business at any stage. Pitching is a great tool to define or refine your brand and communicate to your customer in a passionate, sincere and authentic way. For the next showcase, I'm concentrating on incorporating established entrepreneurs allowing them to revisit their mission and vision through a pitch and wow their current customers and attract new ones.
The cool thing about all of this is that anyone can hop on this platform and throw Showcases or pitch competitions in their community to empower entrepreneurs. As an organizer, you can charge an upfront fee for Showcase services or leverage the Showcase as a fundraiser and take 10% of what the entrepreneur raises or do both at the same time. Judging from best practices I believe its best to do both and I will explain in another blog while I believe this is the best route. Most importantly, the organizer who is helping supporting and developing entrepreneurial talent via pitching and throwing Showcases can realistically make a living supporting and developing entrepreneurial talent, which is world that is only occupied by Angel Investors and Venture Capitalist.
For now, you can revisit The Startup Showcase experience and see one of our best pitches below.
Co-Host Nazahaah Amin of www.amascents.com Soulful Aromatherapy
Body Soul and Spirit Spa is an accessible and affordable wellness center intentionally designed to reduce stress in urban areas. Services like massages, hot water therapy, pedicures, manicures coupled with wellness workshops in nutrition, mindfulness and yoga aim to increase wellness and reduce the harmful effects of stress in our communities.
Body Soul and Spirit Spa Pitch Project: by Jasmin Houston & Charmayne Thompson
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