March 26, 2021

Give Us Your Best Pitch

Startup Montclair to help launch winning ideas at annual pitch contest; entry deadline is April 1

Tree women on stage holding micrphones pitching their business idea. — The members of Mavo Care took first place in the 2019 pitch competition. From left, Nicole Curley, Lisa Noesi and Kenna Brockway.

Do you have an amazing business idea, but not sure where to take it? Why not try to get it closer to reality with Startup Montclair – the University’s pitch competition that offers cash prizes, mentorship and other industry support to help bring your business idea to the next level.

Check out some of the past pitch competition winners who went on to successfully launch their brands:

Mavo Care – a feminine wellness brand pitched by Lisa Noesi ’20, Kenna Brockway ’20 and Nicole Curley ’20 that won first prize and $50,000 in 2019.

SoLo’sFoods – a meal delivery and subscription service pitched by students Diamonque Lundy and Kheyyon Parker ’20 that won second prize and $10,000 in 2020.

“This year, we have a great amount of energy and excitement behind the competition and we’ve implemented some exciting updates to the format,” says Liz Rich, acting executive director of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Feliciano School of Business.

The format includes:

Opening up the competition so that both individuals and teams can apply
Only current Montclair State students and alumni can enter
A cash prize pool of $30,000, which will be allocated to fund the best ideas

The application deadline is quickly approaching, so apply now. All application submissions are due April 1, 2021.

Also make sure to check out FCE&I’s Future Founder Series on YouTube, where there are helpful videos to provide inspiration and tips on how to prepare for the pitch competition (including advice from past winners), how to build social media marketing, how to protect your intellectual property and more.