Then get involved! Plug into the entrepreneurial community at CSUN, where you can attend (free) startup workshops, connect with mentors and investors, and compete for cash prizes! Now in its 4th year, CSUN Fast Pitch is an "elevator pitch" competition where you'll have three minutes to pitch your new venture idea to a panel of judges, investors, and audience.
Fast Pitch winners will receive:
Grand Prize: $2,000
2nd Place: $1,000
3rd Place: $500
Audience Choice: $500
WHY ENTER FAST PITCH?
Entering Fast Pitch is a great way to receive feedback and advice, get exposure for your startup, and prepare for the "Bull Ring" New Venture Competition in the Spring, where prize amounts are in the tens of thousands!
STUDENTS INTERESTED IN COMPETING
Time to shine! It's highly recommended (though not required) that you attend the "Startup Workshops" in the weeks leading up to the application deadline to discover more about the entrepreneurial process & journey, learn the "lean startup" method, and meet like-minded students/future team members. The workshop schedule can be found below.
TEAM FORMATION
Have an idea and looking for additional team members? Or looking to join an existing team? Check out our Discussion Board on the Fast Pitch Canvas page!
MORE INFO / QUESTIONS
Please see below for workshop/competition schedule and full competition rules. Also, you can view pictures or the event program from last year's event. With additional questions, please contact Ryan Holbrook, Entrepreneurship Program Director in the Nazarian College.
Cleveland is the founder and CEO of Payscout, a full-service global payment processing provider covering six continents. Under his leadership, Payscout was recognized as one of America’s fastest-growing privately-held companies in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Cleveland is also an Executive Producer at Film Antics and has six short films and a feature film in his portfolio.
Laura is a strategic advisor, external CFO, and coach to startups, middle market growing companies, and executives. She has worked with startups across various industries, from travel, fashion, and lifestyle to renewable energy and technology. Laura also teaches corporate finance and strategy at CLU and serves on the board for several non-profits.
Daniel helps companies turn ideas into products for new and existing product lines, and grow revenue through engaging customer experiences, strategic partnerships and channels. His professional experience includes advising for the Disney Accelerator and Startup Next LA at Techstars and running the startup incubator at Hub101 in Westlake Village.
Allen is a seasoned technology sales and marketing executive, having worked with some of the largest brands in the world (Target, Dollar Shave Club, Honest Co.) on e-commerce customer acquisition and retention. Allen is an active e-commerce entrepreneur and also works with Retention Science (ReSci), which is consistently ranked as one of the "Most Innovative Companies in LA."
Application Process:
Applications are due at 11:59pm on Sunday, October 28th and will be submitted via the Fast Pitch Canvas page. The application will consist of: (1) a 2-3 page executive summary or 10-15 page slide deck (PDF), AND (2) a video not to exceed 1 minute (uploaded to YouTube).
Ground Rules:
1) The competition is open to ALL current CSUN students.
2) Individual students or teams may enter the competition.
3) Non-CSUN student team members are allowed, but only CSUN students can pitch.
4) The competition is intended for CSUN student-created, -managed, and -owned ventures.
5) Businesses currently earning >$15K in annual revenue are not eligible.
6) Businesses that have already raised >$50K in funding from outside sources are not eligible.
7) Both for-profit and non-profit concepts are eligible; however, the idea must address sources of revenue.
8) An individual may only be a member of one team.
9) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from past Fast Pitch or Bull Ring competitions are not eligible.
The Entrepreneurship Program at the Nazarian College complements our students’ inherent energy and creativity with the skills and knowledge necessary to evaluate the feasibility of an idea and ultimately pitch, launch, and grow a new venture. Whether planning to create a business or bringing the entrepreneurial mindset to a larger organization, the program prepares students to confidently present to an audience while developing a strong action-bias and a willingness to experiment.
