Female Entrepreneurs Can Win Capital to Invest in their Businesses

The FES PITCH COMPETITION will award two cash prizes totaling $25,000

CLEVELAND, OHIO, UNITED STATES, September 16, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Since its inception in 2012, The Female Entrepreneur Summit (FES) has awarded more than $50K to innovative female entrepreneurs.

FES Founder Renée DeLuca Dolan will again tap into her personal and professional network of successful female entrepreneurs to run and fund another FES Pitch Competition for female-owned enterprises in Northeast Ohio.

DeLuca Dolan founded the Female Entrepreneur Summit as a platform for female entrepreneurs to connect, learn and grow. A proven successful entrepreneur herself she founded her firm, now named Contempo Design + Communications, in 2001 after a career in corporate America.

“I created the FES Pitch Competition to support female entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio, an underserved sector without easy access to funding,” explained Deluca Dolan. “We’ve helped innovative entrepreneurs scale businesses that involve media, technology, bioscience, and consumer products.” Last year’s first place winner was Nicole Dzurko of Revival Body Care, a Cleveland-based company making organic, fair trade, cruelty-free products.

This year’s 2020 FES PITCH COMPETITION will award two cash prizes to the first and second place winners who will also gain along the opportunity to benefit from the professional network and expertise of Deluca Dolan and several other established female founders.

Applications must be submitted by October 5. Six finalists will then be selected and notified on October 7. Finalists will present a 15-minute (maximum) virtual pitch to a panel of judges on October 21. This panel of judges, consisting of female entrepreneurs, will select two 2020 recipients. The winner and runner-up will be announced at this year's FES event on October 28, 2020, which will be presented in a virtual format this year.

Funding is made possible by a donor network of successful Northeast Ohio businesswomen catalyzed by DeLuca Dolan and a commitment from JumpStart, a nationally-recognized investing, entrepreneurial support and economic development organization. Fiscal administrative support is provided by Geauga Growth Partnership, a private economic development nonprofit committed to fostering entrepreneurial growth.

Interested applicants must meet the following criteria for eligibility:

APPLICATION CRITERIA:
> Owned and operated by a female entrepreneur
> Offer a unique idea in a technology, consumer/ packaged goods, or select service business
> Growing addressable market of at least $500 million
> At least $50K in annual revenue or at least 6 months of customer data
> Succinct strategy of how this award will enable/contribute to transformational growth
> Located in one of the 18 counties in Northeast Ohio

IMPORTANT DATES:
SEPTEMBER 16: Pitch contest is open
OCTOBER 5: Deadline for entry
OCTOBER 7: Six finalists announced
OCTOBER 21: Virtual pitch to a panel of judges
OCTOBER 28: FES Pitch winners announced

CASH PRIZES:
FIRST PLACE: $20,000; RUNNER UP: $5,000

APPLY TODAY:
https://fescleveland.com/pitch-application
Application portal closes October 5, 2020 at 11:59pm

Renee DeLuca Dolan
Contempo Design + Communication
+1 440-785-5600
email us here