Comcast’s Pitch Deck Competition brought five student entrepreneurs head to head

New Mexico has no shortage of young entrepreneurs. At colleges and universities across the state, students are developing innovative solutions to problems affecting people and industries worldwide. 

It can be challenging to find funding and support to take these innovative ideas to the next level. From the separation that comes with living in rural areas of our state, to not having access to capital, finding the right resources, mentorship, and financial support can be a challenge for New Mexican student entrepreneurs. 

In early December, our Comcast team partnered with STC.UNM and the UNM Innovation Academy for the first-ever Comcast Pitch Deck Competition. During an inspiring night at the Lobo Rainforest, five student entrepreneur teams went head to head, pitching their big ideas to an audience of more than 100 business leaders, community groups, and supporters. 

The competition offered an opportunity for student entrepreneurs who want to start, or are already operating an early-stage company, to present their innovations to experienced investors and entrepreneurs in the community. Comcast provided nearly $20,000 in prizes to help power the dreams of these dynamic students. The finalists and winners were:

• First Place, $10,000 Prize: Erik Strobert, The University of New Mexico, Perspective Components Inc.. Perspective Components Inc. provides seamless integration of artificial intelligence and gimbal hardware to deliver the world’s smallest Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera system.

• Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Alissa Chavez, The University of New Mexico, EasyFlo.

EasyFlo is an eco-friendly baby bottle.

• Third Place, $2,500 Prize: George Boujaoude, Tomas Manzanares, and Christian Seely, The University of New Mexico, Bitekast. Bitekast is a podcast listening and snipping platform. 

• Finalist, $1,000 Prize: Anna Kuuttila and Sara Kuuttila-Webbert, The University of New Mexico, Smarter Starter. Smarter Starter makes birth to four children’s educational products.

• Finalist, $1,000 Prize: Sam Crooks, The University of New Mexico, Film Spots. Online platform to scout and reserve film sites.

Reaching out to students beyond Albuquerque

Comcast has participated and sponsored competitions like the Comcast Pitch Deck Competition in the past, but this was the first year we focused specifically on student entrepreneurs. 

As we planned the competition, we wanted to include students from across New Mexico, so we engaged in outreach beyond UNM and Albuquerque aiming to reach diverse student groups and demographics. In totality, we received pitches from 25 companies/startups. The quality of pitches we received are a testament to the tech talent New Mexico has to offer. In fact, one of our semi-finalists is already a serial entrepreneur.

We wanted to make sure we were inclusive and intentional about how we reached out to potential participants that might not have the opportunity to pitch to large investors. It was important to capture the diversity already in our community with a commitment to growing entrepreneurship among New Mexican students.

More than a cash prize 

We think it was a successful event because the Pitch Deck Competition prepared student entrepreneurs in other practical ways.

While the cash prize was an incredible incentive, the competition provided another valuable opportunity to participants: experience. Students had opportunities to connect directly with investors and venture capitalists, while receiving exposure in the community. Each participant received coaching from a successful entrepreneur to develop their pitch. They were taught the skills needed to get further investment in the future. Additionally, the student finalists also learned how to effectively build a business model, attract investors, and market-test to adapt to customers’ needs. 

We even heard from some students that they were able to schedule subsequent meetings with investors following the event!

A competition like this is important to New Mexico because it’s investing directly in homegrown talent. The student entrepreneurs who participated in the Pitch Deck Competition are going to be future New Mexico success stories, whether for their current ideas or future endeavors. 

This event is just one example of the amazing work of students in our community and the future of entrepreneurship in New Mexico. These young entrepreneurs will help grow our economy and show that we can be an inclusive community of entrepreneurs leading the country in business ownership. 

Our team was excited to participate and sponsor the Pitch Deck Competition because we believe in investing in the leaders of tomorrow, right here in our state. Community support and access to mentors is critical to the success of young entrepreneurs and newly launched businesses. With this event, we were able to connect a strong network of supporters and experienced leaders to talented local student entrepreneurs.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for these student entrepreneurs, and I hope you will join me in celebrating their achievements. If you want to learn more about these talented young leaders, click here to watch and share their story.

CONNECT THE DOTS: 

Erin Muffoletto serves on the City Alive Leadership Table which is composed of organizations that have committed to closing the gap in business ownership and leadership in Albuquerque with a focus on people of color. City Alive Leadership Table members and community partners work to remove barriers and create a better environment where entrepreneurs build businesses that succeed.