A federal-state business authority is calling for entrepreneurs to enter its pitch competitions this fall which includes one at Murray State University.
The Delta Regional Authority will hold six Delta Challenge pitch competitions throughout the 8 state Delta region.
The competitions will award up to 20 entrepreneurs and 16 support organizations a Delta Entrepreneurship Network fellowship, making them eligible for state and federal support. Those entrepreneurs and ESOs will receive a fellowship for technical assistance and training to enhance entrepreneurship capacity and opportunities in the Delta region.
“We have seen exciting growth and opportunities for our inaugural class of Delta Entrepreneurs this year, and we look forward to connecting the next class of fellows to this national platform," said DRA federal co-chairman Chris Masingill.
The fellows will also participate in a special segment of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), a premier entrepreneurship festival in the South produced by The Idea Village, leveraging engaging workshops and mentorship from panelists and other industry experts. NOEW is scheduled for March 11-18, 2016.
Murray State University will host a competition October 6. The full schedule of competitions are as follows:
- Sept 18,2015 - StartCo, Memphis, TN
- Sept 22, 2015 - Delta State University, Cleveland, MS
- Oct 6, 2015 - Murray State Univeristy, Murray Ky
- Oct 8, 2015 - Arsenal Place Accelerator, Selma, AL
- Nov 5, 2015 - AR Venture Center, Little Rock, AR
- Nov 14, 2015 - Innov8 Acadiana, Lafayette, LA
The regional pitch competitions will identify two types of entrepreneurs, those that are in their idea or "pre-revenue" phase, and those entrepreneurs that have highly scalable, investable ventures throughout the region that are in the “post revenue” phase. Entrepreneurs interested in competing can register for each competition atdra.gov/entrepreneur, where they must submit a business summary at least a week before the competition they plan to attend.
The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to help create jobs, build communities, and improve lives through strategic investments in economic development in 252 counties and parishes across eight states.
