Submissions are now open for the Entrepreneurship & Libraries Pitch Competition: https://entrelib.org/2022-elc-pitch-workshop/ 

Five entries will be selected to pitch in the May 19th (3-4pm EST) pitch competition via Zoom, and all five libraries will win something:
1st place: $2,250 | 2nd place: $1,000 | 3rd place: $500 | 4th & 5th: $250
The audience choice award will be an additional $750 for one of the 5 libraries.
Thank you to EBSCO for sponsoring the event.

Nature of the pitch:

Is your library a player in economic development? Or do you have an idea on how your library could contribute to job creation, entrepreneurship, and nonprofits — but you could use a little funding to get started? In this pitch competition, libraries will be invited to pitch ideas or initiatives to stakeholders in economic development. Public, school, special, and academic librarians are encouraged to apply.

The focus of the pitches is how a library can support local economic development, job creation, workforce development, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, small businesses, or innovation in general. 

Application Requirements:

Pitches for ideas or initiatives currently in place or in progress will be considered. The application should include:

• Contact information (name, email, and institution)
• A 500-word description of the character and scope of your idea, including:

• Specific local target population
• Problem addressed by your idea or initiative
• Resources available or needed 
• Service(s) that will be provided
• How would you assess the library’s impact

Applicants should pretend their pitch audience is local community partners, not fellow librarians.

Applications will be evaluated for :

• Clarity and thoroughness 
• Innovation
• Impact on community 

Pitch Day:

The five finalists will have up to five minutes to pitch their idea or initiative live and online to a panel of economic development professionals and librarian attendees on May 19 at 3pm EST. After the five pitches, the judges will confer in private. Meanwhile, the audience will be polled to determine the audience choice award. After we hear an update from a 2020 ELC pitch competition winner, the judges will announce the winners, and the ELC co-chairs will announce the audience choice winner.

Resources:

ELC pitch workshop from April 21, 2022

Watch the pitches from the 2020 pitch competition.  Also note at the bottom the interview with Jenn Hensel. 

Key dates:

May 5: Deadline for pitch submissions
May 6-18: The five libraries can have an optional consultation with the ELC pitch coach, Jenn Hensel of ElePitch.
May 19, 3-5pm EST: Pitch competition via Zoom

Thank you! Please let one of the co-chairs know if you have any questions.

Angel Truesdale (UNC Charlotte): Angel.Truesdale@PROTECTED
Kellee Forkenbrock (North Liberty Library): kforkenbrock@PROTECTED
Steve Cramer (UNC Greensboro): smcramer@PROTECTED  

 

 

Andrea Simzak Levandowski (she/her/hers)

Library Consultant for Small Business Development & Technology

New Jersey State Library

P.O. Box 520

Trenton, NJ 08625

(609) 278-2640 x190

alevandowski@PROTECTED