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All Wake Tech campuses remain closed Wednesday, January 28, 2026, because of continued icy conditions. Students taking in-person classes should check with their instructors for more information. Online classes continue as scheduled. Many Wake Tech services, including Admissions and Academic Advising, are available virtually at virtualsupport.waketech.edu. Wake Tech employees who can work remotely should do so.

Employer Resources

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center

Blueprint to Skyline Business Pitch Competition

If you've got an idea for a company or a fledgling business that you're trying to grow, here's a chance to get some additional training and feedback from experts – as well as a shot at some money to invest in your project.

Wake Tech's Business Pitch Competition, sponsored by Wells Fargo, provides everyone a chance to share their ideas, test viability and compete for funding to support creating a venture or growth for existing businesses.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and reside in or operate a business in Wake County.

The competition has three categories: early-stage (pre-revenue) entrepreneurs, business owners with less than two years since formation and business owners with more than two years' experience. Three entries each category will be selected to pitch for a chance to win cash prizes.

  • Skyline (older than two-year businesses) – $7,500
  • Structure (less than two years since formation) – $5,000
  • Blueprint (early-stage or idea business) – $3,000

The goal is not only to help you perfect your pitch, but also to help you learn how to turn your idea into a viable business. So, applicants are required to attend at least one of the following webinars designed to assist in preparing you for the competition.

Is There a Market for My Idea? 12-2 p.m. February 9 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. February 11

Doing Projections – Is This Funding Enough? 12-2 p.m. February 11 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. February 17

From Elevator to Funding – Preparing for All Types of Pitches 12-2 p.m. February 16 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. February 18

While only one webinar is required, applicants are encouraged to attend all three in the series. The webinars are designed to improve your business concept and presentation no matter which level you are pitching.

After attending the required webinar, applicants will be given instructions on how to submit a one-minute pitch video for the competition. Applicants can submit more than one idea, but all submissions are due by February 23.

The finals are March 12 on Western Wake Campus.

Frequently asked questions

Before February 23, participants must attend at least one of three webinars in a series designed to prepare participants for pitching. Once completed, the application process will open for each participant. The next step is for participants to submit a one-minute video pitch along with an application explaining their business pitch. The competition will select the top participants from each of three categories to advance to a final pitch event. The judges will then select the top three from each category as winners to receive seed funding.
Anyone age 18 and older who resides in or operates a business in Wake County.
All pitches must be submitted online by completing the entry form and recording or uploading a prerecorded one-minute pitch. Contact the Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center for assistance, if needed. We are here to help and don't want technology to be a barrier for participation.
Yes, but only if the pitch is for a project or innovation that is not part of the existing operation. Existing businesses must be seeking funding to seed a new idea or revenue stream for the business and cannot seek funding to support the existing business concept or operations.
All contestants are required to attend at least one webinar to help you think through your idea and determine if and how it can become self-sustaining. In addition to the webinars, participants can take advantage of other training and business counseling available through the Small Business Center Network and other local small-business development partners.
Those chosen as semifinalists will pitch for three minutes to a three-judge panel at 6 p.m. March 12 on Western Wake Campus and must be prepared to answer questions.

The three judges all support entrepreneurship in Wake County:

  • Wake Tech Associate Dean for Entrepreneurship & Business Dr. Jenipher Cornelius
  • State Rep. Mike Schietzelt
  • Mike Conlon, an entrepreneur and former chair of the Wake Tech Foundation Board
No, neither Wake Tech nor any of its program partners will have any ownership stake in the ideas or companies formed.
No. With the volume of ideas submitted, it's not feasible to keep track of the restrictions within all potential NDAs. To better protect ideas, we don't make the pitch videos public without the applicant's permission. Applicants also can independently file a provisional patent on their idea before submitting.