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Made By Tigers - Elevator Pitch Competition
about the competition
Think fast, pitch faster. In this high-energy competition, entrepreneurs have just 60 seconds to deliver a compelling snapshot of their business to a panel of expert judges. The goal? Spark curiosity, showcase innovation and leave the audience wanting more.
Finalists will compete for cash prizes to fuel their ventures: $500 for first place, $350 for second, and $150 for third. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, this is your moment to make a bold impression—fast.
key dates
All times listed are in CST
| DATE | ACTION | DEADLINE |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, November 14 | Virtual application Submission Due | 11:59 AM |
| Sunday, November 16 | Notifications sent to applicants | 5:00 PM |
| Tuesday, November 18 | Finalists confirm or withdraw their participation in competition | 5:00 PM |
| Friday, November 21 | Competition Final Round (in-person) | 1:00 PM |
time limits
- Video pitch and in-person pitch should be a minimum length of 30 seconds with a maximum
length of 60 seconds. Please edit the silence from your video. 5 second grace period
is provided.
- Video pitches and in-person pitch should not exceed the time limit or are subject
to disqualification from the competition.
round structure
- Preliminary Round: All participants will deliver their pitch via video. Judges will review recorded
pitches to determine who advances. The number of students advancing will be determined
based on the total number of participants.
- Final Round: Participants advancing will compete in the final in-person round at Made by Tigers on Friday, November 21 at 1:00 PM. No remote pitches are allowed for the final round.
submission specific requirements
- All pitches must be for a for-profit business. Business can be pre-revenue.
- All elevator pitches must be between 30 and 60 seconds.
- All contestants must be standing in their video.
- Reading from a screen or notecards will be heavily penalized by judges.
- Contestants may shoot a vertical or horizontal video.
- The video must be done in one shot. Re-takes, jump cuts, and other video editing techniques are prohibited.
- Intros, Outros, B-Roll, and any other footage that is not of the speaker is prohibited.
- The video must be accessible to the judges upon first viewing. If a video does not give the proper drive/cloud permissions in advance, then the contestant will be disqualified.
- Any submission that does not meet these requirements will be disqualified from the Elevator Pitch competition.
2025 presenter guidelines
All presenters for the 2025 Elevator Pitch Competition must fulfill the following to participate:
- All students matriculating at the University of Memphis, including undergraduates and graduate students, are eligible to apply for the 2025 Elevator Pitch competition.
- Individual students or groups are eligible to submit their application. The lead/presenting entrepreneur of any group must be a student matriculating at the University of Memphis, including undergraduates or graduate students. Team members may come from other area schools or graduates.
- All applicants must be available to present their Pitch in person on Friday, November 21 at 1:00 PM.
- All applicants that are selected to participate must confirm their participation, agree to the Image and Audio Release and Authorization Form, and respond to all requests for information by Tuesday, November 18 at 5:00 PM.
- Students are pitching business ideas to the University of Memphis. Students are not asking for an investment or selling to a customer - they are explaining their business idea.
- Support Material: Participants must deliver the pitch without slides, props, or memory aids. The pitch should be a purely spoken presentation.
resources available to presenters
- Practice Pitching at the Bullpen Workshop: Hosted by the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship on Thursday, November 13 at 4:30
PM.
- Presenters can receive feedback via 1:1 Coaching with Crews Center for Entrepreneurship Pitch Coach, Carl F. Hill.
- Book a session at: memphis.edu/Crews
- Select “1-on1 Meeting”
- Then select “Pitch Practice”
competition rubric
| Criteria and Point Value | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storytelling / Introduction | Lacks clarity and fails to engage | Somewhat clear but not engaging | Clear and somewhat engaging | Very clear and engaging | Exceptionally clear and highly engaging |
| Value Proposition | Fails to articulate unique value | Some value but lacks uniqueness | Good articulation of value and some uniqueness | Very good articulation of unique value | Excellent articulation of unique and compelling value |
| Call to Action | Weak closing with no call to action | Somewhat clear closing but weak call to action | Clear closing with a good call to action | Strong closing with a very good call to action | Powerful closing with an excellent call to action |
| Performance and Vocal Delivery | The delivery significantly hinders understanding; speech is unclear, too fast/slow, or monotone. Movement was distracting | The delivery had notable issues (mild speech clarity problems, uneven pacing). Movement was problematic | The delivery is generally clear with a satisfactory pace and tone. The movement was purposeful. Minor improvement is possible | The delivery and movement were strong and confident, with good control over pace, volume, movement and tone | The delivery and movement were outstanding, engaging, and perfectly paced. Enhancing the overall impact of the pitch |