By Daniel Coats ’15,’18
The 10th Annual Titan Fast Pitch Competition, which tasks Southern California students with presenting their 90-second fast pitch in exchange for scholarships, was held on the CSUF campus on Dec. 3. With a theme of social entrepreneurship, the event laid the seed of doing good while doing well among Orange County youth, many of whom will go on to launch their own social enterprises with the support of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Business and Economics. The event was co-sponsored by the Center for Economic Education and Center for Entrepreneurship.
“The student pitches embraced the theme of making a social impact. Their new business concepts showed that it is possible to create companies that make profits, help people and make the planet a better place,” says John Bradley Jackson ’77, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
Middle schoolers vied for scholarships of up to $500 for the first four finalists, while high schoolers competed for up to $1,000. College and university finalists had the opportunity to earn as much as $3,000.
College of Business and Economics senior Seth Sliger ’23 took the first-place spot in the college competition, winning $3,000 for pitching his Recycle Better business that would streamline bottle recycling through in-person employee visits to collect discarded bottles.
“It was amazing to be a part of this event. I was surprised when I was called to be a finalist. Once I was notified, I practiced a lot to internalize my pitch. I always wondered how it would be to participate in a ‘Shark Tank’-like pitch, and it was very fun,” says Sliger. “I would encourage every major to participate in this scholarship next semester. I plan to use the scholarship money to help pay for the upcoming spring semester. I appreciate my professors, Tom Miller and Scott Sorell, for encouraging me to apply. This was a very helpful step in my entrepreneurial journey.”
All four college awardees were CSUF students: Woo Kim ’22 (engineering) took second place and received $2,000. Moe Hamade took third place, netting a $1,500 award. Bryan Garcia came in fourth with a $1,000 award.
More than 300 students competed for a total of $50,000 in scholarships and in-kind awards, made possible through the generous sponsorship of Diamond Sponsor Union Bank and many other industry partners.
Student participants recorded their pitches through YouTube videos, which were then examined by business professionals acting as judges. The finalists were invited to the Dec. 3 event, which was open to the public to cheer on the next generation of startups.
The CSUF Center for Entrepreneurship is committed to ensuring the region becomes the leading social enterprise hub of the West Coast and offers competitions, such as the Titan Fast Pitch, and entrepreneurial education for undergrads, graduate students and the broader Orange County business community.
For more information, read more of our articles about entrepreneurship. Or reach out to the center at CSUFentrepreneurship@fullerton.edu.