UMaine Student Innovation Plans Fashion Show, Idea Pitch Contest
The University of Maine Foster Center for Student Innovation is holding two events designed to bring out the creativity of UMaine students and help them hone presentation skills.
On Sept. 27 and Oct. 29, the center will launch its first “Whiteboard Pitch Competition” to give winning presenters a $100 prize. In addition, the center is soliciting participants for a first UMaine “Epic Fashion Show,” with lights, cameras, style, art, music and fashion, for budding clothing and accessories designers on Oct. 12.
The whiteboard pitch competition is for UMaine students with ideas about a business concept, invention, nonprofit, fundraiser, art show, capstone or thesis — anything that requires students to make a simple, non-technical presentation to a panel of judges, whose support and votes they’ll need to win –says Jesse Moriarity, Foster Center coordinator.
“The idea is students will get five minutes to pitch an idea,” she says. “It could be an art project, a business, a capstone project, invention, a nonprofit. They just need to convince the judges that this is where the $100 should go. There will be no PowerPoints. It will be just a whiteboard.”
Two of the three judges have been selected: Jake Ward, assistant vice president for research, economic development and government relations, and Charlsye Diaz who teaches technical writing in the English Department and is considered an expert at pitching ideas. Ward can offer feedback on the quality of the concepts being proposed, while Diaz can critique the pitches themselves.
Moriarity credits Renee Kelly, director of economic development and co-director of the innovation center, for the pitch competition concept.
Moriarity says the experience can help students improve their presentation skills, which can be applied not only in project presentations, but also to public speaking or interviews — times when many people find themselves tongue-tied by nervousness.
The UMaine competition also can serve as a practice run for any student entrepreneurs with an interest in competing for a $150,000 prize at the Juice Conference Nov. 4-5 in Camden. “If we have any students who want to pitch at that, this is a good opportunity to practice,” she says.
Moriarity says consideration is being given to holding a pitch competition on a monthly basis and then possibly holding a grand finale, where the winners of monthly pitch contests could compete for an even bigger prize.
“If we get a lot of interest, then, absolutely, we want to keep it going,” she says.
Thanks to “HerCampus,” a student-run online magazine, UMaine, in collaboration with UNO Chicago Grill and the Foster Center, the first University of Maine Epic Fashion Show is scheduled Oct. 12 from 6-9 p.m. at the innovation center.
“This event is a special opportunity for students and alumni to showcase their creative side of life,” Moriarity says. “It will be a night to remember with lights, cameras, style, art, music and fashion.”
Photo submissions are open to students and alumni. Organizers are seeking art, fashion, creative ideas and models in preparation for the event. The due date for all submissions is Sept. 30 and should be sent to Drew King at Drewking10@hotmail.com.
Contact: Jesse Moriarity, (207) 581-1454