UAA 2021 Business Plan Competition Is Now Open to Community Members

The 2021 Business Plan Competition, sponsored by UAA’s College of Business and Public Policy, has expanded eligibility to include members of the community in addition to UAA students.  

Four finalists will be selected to present their start-up ideas at the “Perfect Pitch” final competition on March 26, 2021. A panel of twelve judges will select Grand Prize ($6,000) and Second Prize ($3,000) winners. Audience members will select a People’s Choice ($1,500) winner.

“This is a great time to be an entrepreneur,” says Dr. Helena S. Wisniewski, UAA professor of entrepreneurship and chair of the Management, Marketing, Logistics and Business Analytics Department. Wisniewski is the designer of the Business Plan Competition and a veteran of multiple start-ups. “The number of IPOs is way up, surpassing the DotCom era. You wouldn’t think of that during a pandemic, but opportunities are everywhere. You’ve got to look at the challenges we are facing and turn them into opportunities.”

Venture capitalist and Business Plan Competition judge Steve Socolof agrees. “There’s been so much change this year in the way we work, live at home, the way we travel, the way we educate. I’ve never seen so many startups. With the help of Zoom and so many platforms, I’ve seen so many pitches all over the country, not just in my region.”

Entries are due February 8, 2021, but anyone who submits an Intent to Compete form by December 4, 2020 will be invited to a mentoring seminar in January 2021.

Visit UAA’s Business Plan Competition site for complete eligibility, rules, and a list of judges.