“Shark Tank” Inspired Live Event Featuring Cash Prizes to be Held October 5
(Nantucket) September 5, 2019 – The Nantucket Island Center for Entrepreneurship (NICE) announced plans to hold the first live “pitch” competition to showcase emerging entrepreneurs on Nantucket. The event will be held from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm on Saturday, October 5th at the Dreamland Film & Cultural Center. The competition is open to any Nantucket resident with an idea for a new business, or a Nantucket business founder seeking support to evolve and grow their company.
The first event of its kind on Nantucket, the NICE Pitch Competition is a public “Shark Tank” inspired event where local entrepreneurs will pitch a panel of distinguished judges, to compete for cash and other prizes. Bruce A. Percelay, N Magazine’s chairman and publisher, will join the esteemed panel of judges and has committed a feature in N Magazine’s popular Stroll issue as one of the prizes offered. SCORE Cape Cod and the Islands has also committed prize money and will provide mentors who will work with finalists to prepare each pitch presentation.
The event is produced by the Nantucket Island Center for Entrepreneurship (NICE), the initiative launched earlier this year under the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce umbrella, funded by ReMain Nantucket, to foster local entrepreneurship. NICE offers one-on-one business mentoring, as well as group educational programming to help early stage entrepreneurs.
“This event is an important milestone in the evolution of NICE to a program that can help local entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, including securing seed capital” said David Martin, President and CEO of the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce.
Following an open submission process, up to ten finalists will be invited to pitch their business plan in front of a live audience and panel of judges. Each pitch will be limited to a three-minute presentation, followed by two minutes of Q&A from the judges. Judges will then leave the room for a brief period to score each finalist and determine the winners. During this time, the audience will also score the entrepreneurs and select an “audience choice” winner. Winners will be announced, and prizes distributed, at the end of the fast-paced, 90-minute event.
To participate, entrepreneurs should complete an application at nantucketchamber.org/pitch prior to the deadline of Tuesday, September 17. Applicants will be notified by Friday, September 20 if they have been invited to participate in the live event, which is free and open to the public (limited seating so pre-registration is required).
For information about becoming a sponsor of the event, or contributing a prize, please contact Karen Macumber at karen@nantucketchamber.org.
About the Nantucket Island Center for Entrepreneurship (NICE)
Founded in January of 2019, NICE offers one-on-one mentoring and group educational programming designed to help local entrepreneurs succeed on Nantucket. Generously sponsored by ReMain Nantucket, NICE is part of the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce growth initiative program, designed to support the local business community. The Chamber has tapped Karen Macumber, a serial entrepreneur, business owner, and year-round resident, to pilot the program. In order to be eligible to participate in the program, entrepreneurs must be an island resident interested in starting a business, or those seeking assistance in scaling a small business already operating on the island. Interested entrepreneurs can apply for an initial consulting session by completing a brief questionnaire available at https://www.nantucketchamber.org/nice.
About the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
The Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1934 and incorporated in 1954. It is the primary organization dedicated to promoting the interests of the island business community. With over 750 business, nonprofit, and individual members, the Chamber is also concerned with the ongoing viability and vitality of the historical, cultural, civic and environmental and recreational features that position Nantucket as a premier destination for visitors and provides a special way of life for its residents.
