Four entrepreneurs walked away from Brooklyn’s 1st Elevator Pitch Competition with in-kind prizes totalling $40,000 for the best pitches.

Out of 53 submissions, 12 founders were chosen as finalists in two categories.  Each founder had ninety seconds to pitch their venture to a panel of judges with broad startup and business experience.

After intense deliberations by the judges… Brooklyn’s 2014 Elevator Pitch Competition winners were announced to more than 100 enthusiastic attendees at Huge Brooklyn.

Congratulations to…

Brick & Mortar

• 1st place – Shawn Lynch – I.C. Progress Photos
• runner up – Carin Pinto – NYC Agape

Tech Startups

• 1st place – Martina Campbell – Burn Finder… find the fitness classes you want!
• runner up – Leanna Wilson – Group Out

Prizes earned…

• $24,000 and $12,000 in web hosting from Softlayer
• Business/startup consultations from Brooklyn Innovation… cash value, $500 to $2400
• Two months of coworking space at Bathaus, valued at $350
• Customer acquisition, SEO, & social media consultations… cash value, $250 to $1200

While several founders won… no one lost the competition! 

Everyone who pitched took on the risk and put themselves out there… and that, in large measure, is what getting funded is all about.

About the Competition

Brooklyn’s 1st Elevator Pitch Competition was based on the “elevator pitch” concept.  It’s an extremely concise presentation of an entrepreneur’s idea, solution to a user’s issue or problem, business model, marketing strategy, and competitive advantage. 

The premise being that a good pitch can be made in a couple of minutes, should an entrepreneur meet a potential investor on an elevator and have an opportunity to pitch their idea during a brief ride.