NOMIWOMAN SPOTLIGHT TAKE THE STAGE! -In conversation with Maria Purvis Senior Manager of Events & Special Programs at 20Fathoms What’s the story behind 20Fathoms’ TCNewTech? Maria: The next TCNewTech pitch competition is coming up on September 29, and we need your startup to apply to be on stage! I tell people that we’ll overwhelm you with support (in a good way) when you pitch onstage as a part of TCNewTech – you’ll get plugged into an extremely supportive community full of people who are excited to help. There are opportunities that arise because of the literal stage you’re presenting from and the way you’re able to share your message with a large audience of interested attendees. If you have an idea, tech is core to your product, and you want it to grow to serve our region and beyond, this stage is for you! What do you want the women of Northern Michigan to know? Maria: You are ready, and we believe in you! Seriously, we do – north of 40% of the entrepreneurs we support at 20Fathoms are women, and our region in particular loves to support female founders. It can be intimidating to put yourself up for a pitch opportunity, but there’s a solidarity thing for women as a part of TCNewTech, and our entrepreneurial community puts its arms around female founders. We have training through TCNewTech, so if you’re on the cusp of being ready, we’re able to coach you, give you support with your pitch deck, and support with your messaging, so you’re ready when you get on stage. And then when you are on stage, it’s a warm crowd! Everyone who sees these entrepreneurs on stage wants them to succeed. It’s a lovely way to get over that initial barrier of intimidation, and a really good way to inform a community about cool things that are happening (like your startup!) so they can support you on your way. Strong applications come from entrepreneurs with a clearly defined product that you can show people will pay money for. You’ve done your customer discovery, you’ve done your homework, you’ve defined a clear problem and solution. Applying is also a great way to even just get plugged into 20Fathoms resources. Even if you don’t necessarily get selected as a finalist, we’re able to coordinate internally and deploy the resources that we have available to you. Where can people find you or learn more? Visit 20Fathoms to learn more about pitching at TCNewTech, or go straight to the application! |
