School of Business Administration
18th Annual Flyer Pitch is Ready to Take Off
The 18th annual Flyer Pitch Competition, which awards nearly $200,000 in startup funding, is now accepting applications.
The Flyer Pitch Competition is an annual competition sponsored by UD’s L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Greater West Dayton Incubator in partnership with PNC Bank and The Entrepreneurs' Center.
One of the largest new venture competitions at the collegiate level, over 100 new ventures have been launched due to the competition, with over $24 million in follow-on capital raised by those businesses.
Participants can win funding to launch or grow their venture, and get valuable training, mentoring and feedback from experts,” said Vince Lewis, UD’s associate vice president for entrepreneurial initiatives. “Entrepreneurs have launched 104 new ventures and raised more than $24 million after competing, and participating nonprofits, social enterprises and community initiatives in Greater West Dayton have grown and improved the community as well.
Throughout the competition, participants will have the opportunity to enhance their skills and strengthen their ventures through training, mentorship, and feedback from expert judges. This is not only intended to help finalists prepare for the pitch but to ultimately provide entrepreneurs with the hands-on support to launch their new venture successfully.
Melissa Oei, an SBA Entrepreneurship and Marketing Senior, partook in last year’s competition and is preparing her entry for this year. “Flyer Pitch provided me an opportunity to showcase my business ideas to professionals. I was not only given a stage to share my ideas, but I was also given critical feedback on how I can improve on those ideas and resources to do so. Although I didn't make it to the final round of Flyer Pitch, professionals involved with the competition reached out to me afterward and ensured I wasn't going to give up on my idea and they connected me to business partners who could help develop my business.
The Flyer Pitch Competition is open to all Dayton faculty, staff, students, alumni, and members of the Greater Dayton region. Entrants enter one of three tracks: tech-related business ideas, main street start-ups, and nonprofit start-ups.
The deadline to apply for the first round is Sunday, Oct. 22. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance on Oct. 24, and the first round of live elevator pitches will be on Saturday, Nov. 4, at The Hub Powered By PNC Bank.
More information on the competition and applications can be found at flyerpitch.com.
Caleb Dunn, CEO of WakEdrive, which was a 2023 winner in the ESP/Tech Track. Caleb received $15,000 cash, $3,000 in logos and branding services, and $2,100 for an IP analysis
Caleb Dunn, CEO of WakEdrive, which was a 2023 winner in the ESP/Tech Track. Caleb received $15,000 cash, $3,000 in logos and branding services, and $2,100 for an IP analysis
Youth House, founded by Thomas Scroggins, was a 2023 winner in the Nonprofit Track. Youth House received $2,400 cash and $1,200 in accounting and Quickbooks services, $800 in grant services, and $500 in consulting services.