The Georgetown Entrepreneurship Challenge is Georgetown’s largest annual pitch competition series. Pitch your new venture idea to an expert panel of entrepreneurs and business leaders, gain valuable feedback, win thousands of dollars in startup funds, and meet prospective mentors and investors!
The top team from each preliminary competition will advance to the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Challenge Finals on April 8, 2021. Any student who is enrolled in a Georgetown graduate or undergraduate program may apply to pitch. Check out the information below for the full schedule of events, guidelines, pitch tips, and judging criteria.
Competitions begin in early March and run until early April
The Georgetown Entrepreneurship Challenge is a Completely Virtual Event
Georgetown Entrepreneurship Challenge 2021 Competition Schedule
Wildcard Competition
for students of all graduate programs outside of the McDonough School of Business or School of Continuing Studies
Date of Competition: Tuesday, March 16th, 5:00pm-7:00pm Eastern
Deadline to Apply & Submit Video: Friday, March 12th
SCS Competition
for all graduate students enrolled in the School of Continuing Studies
Date of Competition: Wednesday, March 17th, 6:00pm-9:00pm Eastern
Deadline to Submit Video: Friday, March 12th
MSB Grad Competition
for all graduate students, executive students, and Pivot Fellows enrolled in the McDonough School of Business
Date of Competition: Wednesday, March 31st, 5:00pm-7:00pm Eastern
Deadline to Submit Video: Friday, March 26th
Undergraduate Competition Night One
for undergraduate students enrolled any Georgetown University school or campus
Date of Competition: Tuesday, March 23rd, 6:00pm-9:00pm Eastern
Deadline to Submit Video: Friday, March 19th
Undergraduate Competition Night Two
for undergraduate students enrolled any Georgetown University school or campus
Date of Competition: Wednesday, March 24th, 6:00pm-9:00pm Eastern
Deadline to Submit Video: Friday, March 19th
Undergraduate Competition Night Three
for undergraduate students enrolled any Georgetown University school or campus
Date of Competition: Thursday, March 25th, 6:00pm-9:00pm Eastern
Deadline to Submit Video: Friday, March 19th
Video Pitch Best Practices
- Be Presentable: Just because you’re not pitching live doesn’t mean your pitch should look sloppy! Dress nicely and practice good grooming and hygiene to look your best for the judges
- Have Visuals: A video of just you talking to a camera is boring! Include slides either behind you or simply record your screen and voice-over your slides. You may also choose to get creative and come up with other visual aides such as a whiteboard, props, etc.
- Speak Clearly: Make sure that you are enunciating and pronouncing words clearly so that judges can understand what you’re saying through the computer.
- Keep it Short: Your video should only be five minutes long! Any longer and we will just cut it off before it is finished.
- Visibility is Key: When you post your video, it is essential that anyone who has the link can view the video. While this does not mean your video has to be listed publicly, it does have to be readily watchable to all who click the link.
Students will deliver a five-minute pitch followed by a three-minute Q&A session to a panel of judges either in their respective graduate preliminaries or during the undergraduate nights. Students are eligible to enter individually or in teams of up to four people. Ventures at any stage from ideation to a currently operating startups are welcome to pitch.
Learn about all of the tips and techniques you need to give a successful pitch.
