ASU innovation teams compete in Fast Pitch Expo

What if you only had 180 seconds to pitch your business venture that could change the world? For Arizona State University innovation teams Excellence Through Athletics, ONEshot Global and Partnered For Success, the pressure is on as they compete in a special student portion of the 2012 Fast Pitch Social Innovation Expo, Feb. 29, at the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Fast Pitch is a training and mentoring program provided by Social Venture Partners (SVP) for nonprofits that are engaging in positive social change within the Valley. During a seven-week session, 20 semifinalists work with established mentors to perfect their presentations to be given to competition judges. In the end just eight go on to compete in the final round where they will have 180 seconds to pitch their company to a panel of judges.

This year, however, SVP has partnered with ASU SkySong and the Loadstar Center to create a student component of the competition, in which the three ASU teams will compete for $2,000 in funding. The winners also will present at the general Fast Pitch Expo, March 6, at the Tempe Center for the Arts.

“This is a great opportunity to capture the ideas and energy of ASU students, and to help them look at their business model so they can understand what future investors will look for in a pitch,” said Terri Wogan, executive director of Social Venture Partners.

Here is a breakdown of the contestants:
 
After winning the grand prize in the 2011 ASU Innovation Challenge, student-led company ONEshot Global has gone on to take a stand against the spread of meningococcal meningitis. By adopting the One For One business model made famous by TOMS shoes, ONEShot donates one meningitis vaccine overseas for every one shot given here in the United States.

Partnered for Success provides teens and orphans in the Phoenix metropolitan area foster care system with mentoring and life skills needed to succeed upon “aging out” of the foster system. As part of the program, founders Priya Nathan and Nicollette Lewis work to pair youth with college mentors, community service opportunities and personal growth workshops.

Excellence Through Athletics, co-founded by ASU student Stacey Flores, is an organization that helps children in grades six through 12 improve their performance on the field and in the classroom with the goal of getting each student accepted into college. Through the program participants are given academic tutoring, individualized SAT and ACT preparation, college admission counseling and athletic training.

Tickets for the Fast Pitch Social Innovation Expo are on sale now. For more information, visit http://www.svpaz.org/fast-pitch/.