This year at the Iowa State Fair more than 150 Iowa State University entrepreneurs are pitching their ideas to visitors at the ISU exhibit. The exhibit, “The Great Iowa State Pitch Off: STANDING InnOVATION!,” is being held until August 18 in the Varied Industries Building. The theme of Iowa State’s fair exhibit is part of an ongoing university mission to cultivate a campuswide culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and to provide resources and support for students, faculty and staff to turn their ideas into reality.

Students from every ISU college, as well as ISU Extension and Outreach and recent alumni are competing in the pitch-offs. There are 14 pitches – two per hour – every day.

Director of University Marketing Carole Custer joins Agriculturalists Today to discuss the exhibit and how it all got started.

From the daily pitches, 56 semifinalist pitches will emerge to compete in front of a panel of judges on August 16-17 with four semifinalist pitches per hour.

Seven winning pitches will be announced at 1 p.m. on August 18, the last day of the fair, at the ISU exhibit. ISU President Wendy Wintersteen and Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert will present awards to the winners. “Best in show” will receive a $5,000 award.

When students aren’t pitching, fairgoers will be able to watch videos showcasing students pitching over the past year, highlights of how each college advances entrepreneurship and innovation and submissions from the “Pitch Me ISU” contest — an opportunity for undergraduate students to share their world-changing idea if time and money were no issue. One submission will be chosen for a $1,000 award.

In addition, the exhibit will showcase Iowa State innovations – one highlight from each college, as well as Extension and Outreach and the University Library. ISU alumni innovators and entrepreneurs will be able to enter their company name and contact information to keep up-to-date on opportunities to mentor, network and collaborate with ISU entrepreneurship programs and initiatives.

“Fairgoers will get to witness firsthand what happens when our university and the state of Iowa invests in the next generation,” said Karen Kerns, entrepreneur-in-residence for the ISU President’s Initiative on Entrepreneurship. “And Iowa State students will see that they can make a difference right now. You don’t have to be 40 to make an impact on the world.”

Kerns describes innovation as “the capacity to imagine and create in a novel way,” and entrepreneurship as “the capacity to capitalize on that innovation to create opportunities for yourself and others.”

Be sure to stop by the Iowa State University booth to catch this exhibit!

Source: Pitching competition will highlight Iowa State innovation, entrepreneurship at Iowa State Fair • News Service • Iowa State University. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2019, from https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2019/08/01/iowa-state-fair