WESTCHESTER, NY — The Westchester County Association will host its second pitch competition this year on Tuesday, November 18. Entrepreneurs take to the microphone to pitch their business ideas in five minutes or less to a panel of distinguished judges. Early-stage companies ready to take their ideas to the next level were invited to participate in the contest, designed to accelerate startup creation in Westchester County. Spectators are invited to attend and receive a glimpse of what’s on the horizon for Westchester’s startup scene. The event takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the Reckson Metro Center, 360 Hamilton Avenue in White Plains.
“The WCA’s pitch competitions are about expanding the existing startup community in Westchester County, supporting our growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and fostering innovation,” said Marissa Brett, president, WCA. “And if we do that, we are also driving economic vitality, a main goal of our BLUEPRINT for Westchester.”
The event also presents an opportunity for the Westchester business community to hear from an expert on startups and funding. Christina Bechhold, co-founder and managing director of the New York City angel investment group, Empire Angels, and a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal startup blog, The Accelerators, will share her expertise on what startups need to do to succeed.
The WCA will also hear pitches from young entrepreneurs from the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an organization whose mission is to provide programs that inspire young people from low-income communities to stay in school, to recognize business opportunities, and to plan for successful futures.
Pitch Night is part of the WCA’s “Year of Innovation” in Westchester, a series of exciting programs and events designed to celebrate the innovators, job creators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who are moving Westchester forward. The series kicks off this week with events planned for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), a worldwide celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation that the WCA is bringing to Westchester, for the first time, and includes a Twitter Chat, Women in Tech Awards luncheon, and the WCA’s signature Leadership Dinner.
In addition to Bechhold, judges for the pitch contest include Andrew Ackerman, Managing Director, DreamIt Ventures New York; Jeffrey Borenstein, Consultant, The Small Business Oracle; John Cohn, Managing Director, Diamond Capital Advisors; Stanley Freimuth, CEO, Debt Resolve; and John Ritacco, President, CMS Bank.
Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased online at: http://westchester.org/article.php?a=536. The event is sponsored by Gold Sponsor CMS Bank, Silver Sponsors, Greater Hudson Bank, The Westchester Bank, and Tompkins Mahopac Bank, and Bronze Sponsors Fordham University and Houlihan-Parnes Realtors, LLC.
The Year of Innovation showcases the innovation culture that has taken root in Westchester County—which has emerged as the health tech hub of the northeast—and features experts in big data, biotechnology, healthcare, real estate, scientific research, funding, and entrepreneurship, who will share their experiences and insights, enabling attendees to learn, network, and be inspired.
The BLUEPRINT for Westchester is the Westchester County Association’s aggressive campaign to accelerate Westchester’s economic development. This multi-million dollar, multi-year initiative is organized and driven by the private sector, in collaboration with the county’s real estate, business, and academic communities, with strong participation from Westchester’s six cities. Home to a highly educated workforce, multi-billion dollar healthcare system, internationally renowned cultural and recreational offerings, magnificent parks and preserves, good transportation and excellent schools, affordable office space and easy accessibility to New York City, Westchester epitomizes the “Work.Live.Play.” ethos of today’s professionals. http://www.blueprintforwestchester.com/).
The Westchester County Association is the preeminent business leadership organization serving Westchester County and the region. The Association is committed to business advocacy, economic vitality, and to providing a strong and clear voice for the interests of businesses on the local, regional, and national levels. Its key objectives are to promote positive economic development in the region, foster business development, and provide its members with access and interaction with key public and private sector individuals, agencies, and organizations. (http://westchester.org/).