MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA -- Entrepreneurs from across the Delta region will have the opportunity to win $40,000 in small business training -- and access to national and international investors -- as part of the Delta Regional Authority's third annual Delta Challenge pitch competition.
The entrepreneurial competition, which will begin the second week of September and run through November, will select twenty entrepreneurs and sixteen support organizations to be a part of the DRA's Delta Entrepreneurship Network. The winners will have the opportunity to pitch investors during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (March 2017).
"Our message today is simple: if you're an entrepreneur in the Delta -- or you are someone with an idea of launching a start-up -- sign up for the Delta Challenge and give your dream a shot," said DRA Chairman Chris Masingill. "We created the Delta Challenge and the Delta Entrepreneurship Network because we dream of a day when our part of the world, like Silicon Valley, is synonymous with entrepreneurship. Our region has low taxes and low energy costs, we have access to ports and natural resources -- all essential components for attracting and growing businesses. Now we need our hard-working people to step up and test their ideas."
"Entrepreneurs need to know they don't have to leave home to find funding or assistance -- we will provide them with the funding, the support, and the mentorship they need to grow their business right here in the Delta," Masingill added.
Entrepreneurs interested in competing can register for each competition at www.dra.gov/entrepreneur, where they must submit a business summary at least a week before the competition they plan to attend.
DELTA CHALLENGE PITCH COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Sept. 13 - North Little Rock, Ark. - Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub
Sept. 20 - Cape Girardeau, Mo. - Codefi
Sept. 28 - Jackson, Tenn. - Lane College
Sept. 29 - Oxford, Miss. - University of Mississippi
Oct. 11 - Livingston, Ala. - University of West Alabama
Nov. 1 - Ruston, La. - Louisiana Technical University
The Delta Challenge kicks off with a full-day kickoff event in North Little Rock, AR and over the course of the six competitions will identify up to twenty entrepreneurs and sixteen entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs).
If selected, entrepreneurs will receive:
* A fellowship in technical assistance and training to enhance their entrepreneurship capacity and opportunities
* An invitation to participate in special investor meetings in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW)
* Access to engaging workshops and mentorship from panelists and other industry experts.
"We are thrilled to once again partner with the Delta Regional Authority on the Delta Challenge to support entrepreneurship and innovative thinking in New Orleans and across the region," said Emily Madero, Acting CEO of The Idea Village.