ANN ARBOR – New Enterprise Forum will host is third annual Entrepreneurial Improv: The Battle of the Elevator Pitch, an offbeat, slightly outrageous event that highlights how successful entrepreneurs must think fast on their feet. The event takes place at 5 p.m. May 21 at the Holiday Inn North Campus in Ann Arbor.
During the program, NEF will put four entrepreneurs in front of a judging panel and give them an imaginary company to pitch, with little time to prepare. This year’s pitch competitors include:
Keith Brophy, President of Services at RCM; Mike Klein, President of Online Technologies; Josh Linkner, CEO of ePrize; and Dick Beedon, Winner and Defending Champion of first the two NEF Elevator Pitch Battles and Founder/Managing Director of MacBeedon Partners.
The judging panel for the event will be Chris Holman, Michigan’s Small Business Advocate; Patrick Morand, Managing Director of the Southwest Michigan First Life Sciences Fund, Bob Payne of Credit Suisse First Boston, and Tom Porter of Trillium Ventures.
David Brophy of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business will moderate this entertaining improv affair. And of course, singer/actor/presentation coach Eleni Kelakos will add her special brand of excitement to the evening.
Showcase Presentation: Each month, NEF highlights an emerging company and provides them a Showcase Presentation. This month, our Showcase Presenter will be Husk Insulation, an early stage firm that converts plant-based agricultural waste into high-grade insulation that is a fraction of the thickness of conventional insulation.
Open Forum: The evening will include Open Forum, during which attendees have the opportunity to make a 15-second pitch for themselves, their company, product/service, or need.
Registration and networking begin at 5:00 p.m. with the program starting at 5:45 p.m. Free to NEF members, the cost is $20 for non-members, $5 for students. NEF stakeholder sponsor, RPM Ventures, is our featured sponsor of the month;
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