PitchFork Guide Info Session

December 8, 2022 | 12-1:30 PM 

Access to capital has long been recognized as a major challenge for startups and growing small businesses. In rural America, a lack of capital has been identified as one of the main reasons for the decline in startup rates over the past several years.

Numerous pitch programs exist, but nearly all are urban-based, technology-focused, and concentrate on startups expected to generate big ROIs by going public or selling to another company with deep pockets. Many also have a win-lose, “Shark Tank” mindset, with little support, guidance, or coaching for pitch participants.

The Hannah Grimes Center launched PitchFork in 2016. We have developed a detailed guide on how to run the program and offer it here for FREE to any community interested in using this framework to create their own local event.

Come learn more about our guide and how you can run PitchFork in your own communtiy.

Free Registration

BusinessLab™: Learn how to use this freely shared business model in your community

December 14, 2022 | 2-3 PM 

Business Lab™ is a course consisting of seven weekly sessions, which builds a cohort of business owners to a completed plan and a public pitch of their business. The hands-on course is interactive and covers marketing, idea viability, values, financial management, implementation and pitching. Impact studies have shown that 83% of the businesses that have been part of this iterative program since 2005 were still in business after 13 years. In 2019, it was estimated these businesses were contributing $19.2 million to the local economy each year.

The Hannah Grimes Center has created a detailed Instructor’s Guide for this program which your community can access for free. This roundtable will share what we’ve learned over the years and will offer tips and answer your questions. We hope communities will take this guide as a starting point and feel free to iterate and customize it to the unique set of entrepreneurs in their communities.

Free Registration