FLYE COMPETITION PITCH

This past year, the annual Flyer Pitch Competition launched three tracks (Tech, Main Street, and Nonprofit) to support every type of startup. Put on in partnership with the Entrepreneurs’ Center and Greater West Dayton Incubator, this year's competition awarded $163,000 in cash prizes and support services

Tripling the amount of in-kind prizes, we had 14 sponsors provide packaged to assist the teams with marketing, accounting, and grant services Some of the sponsors included Bandila Studios, Enterprise Roofing, Propel Dayton, and others The competition's legacy includes more than 95 new ventures that have completed the experience and have collectively raised over $24 million in follow-up capital This year we had 100 submissions We had 24 teams compete in the cameo round and 13 teams in the live final round held at The Hub in three spaces.

The competition provides participants with the opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial skills and strengthen their ventures through training, mentorship, and feedback from expert mentors and judges. Between each round, workshops were provided to help teams prepare for the final 30-minute live pitch but the competition ultimately provides entrepreneurs with the hands-on support to successfully launch their new venture Marketing, business canvas, business plan, and financial projection workshops were provided.

Corinne Brion, founder of Turtle Up, shared "One of the highlights of my 20222023 year was my participation in the Flyer Pitch Competition The competition is what propelled my social venture to a new stage. I, as an entrepreneur, matured and my non-profit organization, Turtle Up, went from just being an idea (a very vague and grand idea) to being a reality. I walked away with a solid plan on how to execute my ideas and implement what I had learned from my peers and mentors."

Further, eleven out of the thirteen finalist teams were minority-owned firms, 49% of total submissions were minority-owned, and 32% of total competition submissions were Dayton community members

Next year, we plan to continue hosting three tracks, increase the cash awards, and host a student pitch competition to increase student engagement. We will be utilizing the Upper Deck's new third floor lecture hall space and supporting up to five finalists in final round.

Interested ventures can expect the 2023-2024 application to be open in September and the first elevator pitch round to be in early November

Flyer Pitch Testimonial

By Katie Hill, CEO of Unlisted

"The entire Flyer Pitch experience really catapulted Unlisted over the last six month. As the pitch competition was building, so too was the business. We were able to advance our thinking about the company thanks to the thoughtful design of the Flyer Pitch programming combined with incredible guidance and coaching throughout. Further, we were also able to execute effectively by having gates and targets along the way. It's unmistakable that the Crotty Center team, together with the Flyer Pitch sponsors and supporters, truly understand the entrepreneurial experience and are invested in our success. There are not enough words for the gratitude I feel for the Flyer Pitch opportunity. "