Entrepreneurs and resources to fuel their startup ideas can be found throughout Maryland. In fact, according to the fourth annual Enterprising States, a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Maryland tops the chart for 10 states ranked for entrepreneurship and innovation.
Promoting and celebrating Maryland’s prominence in the area of entrepreneurship are key components of this year’s Pitch Across Maryland 2.0 15-day bus tour. The pitch tour is a program of Startup Maryland (www.startupmd.org), a regional initiative launched out of the Startup America Partnership.
This year’s event will feature stops in:
Salisbury – Monday, September 9, 1 to 2 p.m., hotDesks, Tri-County Multi-Purpose Center, 31901 Tri-County Way, Salisbury. The stop is co-sponsored by the Tri-County Council of the Lower Shore, Worcester County, and the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC). .
Easton – Tuesday, September 10, 3 to 5 p.m., in front of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce, Easton Plaza, 101 Marlboro Avenue, Easton. The stop is co-sponsored by Easton Utilities, Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore, and ESEC.
During the stops entrepreneurs climb onto the bus and pitch their idea/business in two to four minutes in the mobile UpStart Show™ video studio. Videos are uploaded to YouTube® and then open to public viewing/voting. Additionally, entrepreneurs are provided coaching, guidance and support from business mentors and other leaders. Entrepreneurs also receive a copy of their video pitch.
The video pitches will be “voted” on through the end of October. The eight top vote getters, the “Great 8,” will be invited to media events and will have the opportunity to present a more comprehensive pitch to a panel of experts at the Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO) Entrepreneur Expo in November.
The panel will determine a winner and runner-up who will be awarded a variety of services, including free mentorship as well as automatic “bids” into selected 2013 venture competitions.
Entrepreneurs interested in pitching at the Easton and hotDesks stops can register at www.ventureahead.org. For more information, contact Mike Thielke, executive director of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, at (410) 770-9330 or [email protected].
In 2012 during the inaugural Pitch Across Maryland Tour, more than 225 startups participated and 168 startups “pitched” their ideas/businesses at 25 stops. Video pitches were narrowed down to three top fan favorites and eight finalists were named Best Candidates for Venture Investment. The Pitch Tour received six months of active media coverage with more than one million press impressions.
Founded in 2006, the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center works to develop and enhance an entrepreneurial ecosystem on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. ESEC provides training, services and programs to help business owners and entrepreneurs succeed by creating greater access to capital, and offering programs that develop entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Included are ShoreVenture, a comprehensive 10-week entrepreneur-training program, annual business plan and student plan competitions, and an annual entrepreneur conference.
In 2012, ESEC launched “hotDesks,” providing co-working spaces for independent professionals. The first location opened in Salisbury with a second location to be announced on the Eastern Shore.
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