Pitch Dingman Competition 2023 Expands to USM Schools

Edwin Shiny Djampa ’22, founding father of Omega 3 LLC, and Sanketh Andhavarapu ’23, co-founder of Vitalize, showcase their Grand Prize checks at Pitch Dingman Competitors 2022.

After internet hosting almost a decade of “Shark Tank”-style pupil pitch competitions, the College of Maryland’s Dingman Heart for Entrepreneurship is increasing its annual Pitch Dingman Competitors to incorporate different College System of Maryland entrepreneurs.

This yr, the Dingman Heart has launched a fourth observe to its signature competitors, which can now embrace college students from Bowie State College, the College of Baltimore and the College of Maryland, Baltimore County.

“The primary couple years after commencement are so onerous for entrepreneurs, and we’re actually excited for this opportunity to help entrepreneurial college students not simply in Faculty Park, however in our Maryland neighborhood as a complete,” mentioned Lottie Byram, assistant director of neighborhood applications on the Dingman Heart. “It is going to be loads of enjoyable to see who wins (go Terps!), however in the end, it is about bringing Maryland colleges collectively to have a good time and help our most devoted younger hustlers.”

The Dingman Heart has allotted extra funding this yr so as to add a $10,000 prize for the winner of the USM All Stars Monitor, bringing the full prizes for the competitors as much as over $100,000. A majority of the prize cash comes from a beneficiant donation from David MBA ’05 and Robyn Quattrone, amongst different sponsors. David Quattrone, chief expertise officer and co-founder of Cvent, additionally chairs the Board of Advisors on the Dingman Heart for Entrepreneurship.

“This growth of our signature pitch competitors marks an thrilling second of development for our Heart,” mentioned Tsega Belachew, director for enterprise growth and performing managing director. “By increasing our influence to the broader neighborhood, we’re making progress towards our strategic imaginative and prescient to equip, empower and educate pupil entrepreneurs whereas strengthening inclusive entrepreneurship and lengthening our influence as a information hub inside the Maryland entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

The Dingman Heart will proceed to supply three tracks from earlier years. The Grand Prize winners from the David and Robyn Quattrone Tech Enterprise Monitor, for tech or tech-enabled ventures, and the Important Avenue Monitor, for small companies with much less of a concentrate on scale, will win $30,000 and $20,000, respectively. The Thought Monitor, providing $5,000 in complete prize cash, will stay in place for college kids desirous about entrepreneurship who haven’t but begun executing on a enterprise concept.

The competitors is open to all present College of Maryland undergraduate and graduate college students from any school or main, in addition to any college students who graduated in Winter 2022. Functions are due Feb. 5.

Pitch Dingman Competitors 2023 finals will happen on April 18 on the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Heart.