This is just one of the ways the Council and its members were able to G.I.V.E. (Gift, Impact, Value, and Elements) in 2021.
GIFT. The Gift that keeps giving is the 7 HUBZone Live Pitches hosted by TargetGOV and Sponsored by AstraZeneca. Our esteemed pitch competition judges came from both the public and private industry, each one considered a subject matter expert in their field.

The live event of “Who Said It Best? Elevator Pitch Competition TM ” had an audience of a couple of hundred attendees. The stakes were high and the competition was fierce for the following HUBZone companies:
  • Boonerang Consulting LLC
  • Bubo Learning Designs
  • Dynamics Edge
  • Global Broadband Solutions LLC
  • ibLaunch Company
  • Nyla Technologies
  • TeamingPro
$1,000 WINNER
OTHER ENTRIES
IMPACT. The judges (Gloria Larkin (TargetGov), Rita Brooks (SAIC), Diane Dempsey (BAE Systems), and Anna Hakobyan (AstraZeneca)) made sure that the companies came ready to compete.

Gloria Larkin (TargetGov) and her team screened the entries to select the top 7 contestants for the live presentation in Virginia. For the last 20 years, Ms. Larkin’s company has been positioning her clients to win federal contracts (billions in just the last few years). She helped launch the Council’s first competition in 2019 and continues to shape the next generation of successful HUBZone contractors.

The event attendees were treated to a smorgasbord of golden nuggets from:
  • Rita Brooks (Director of Small Business Programs for SAIC) is one of our greatest champions, she has been living in the HUBZone Council trenches for over a decade. Ms. Brooks is not only an exceptional judge but concurrently coaches HUBZone companies on how to position their company for the win. Her candor has resulted in targeted, passionate, solution-driven pitches that have opened the door to subcontracting and prime opportunities for many of our Council members. Ms. Brooks compelled 100s of attendees to focus on “what is in it for the client along with their differentiators” to make their pitches meaningful. She singlehandedly changed the 2021 Pitch Competition to one that continues to Empower Small Businesses.
  • Ms. Dempsey (Director, Small Business Programs for BAE Systems Intelligence & Security Sector) reminded us of the critical steps to engage pitch listeners, the 3-Cs.
  • Concise: capture the listener’s attention – free from jargon and fluff
  • Connect: focus on what might be important to the listener
  • Communicate: company name, be passionate, let it flow, tell your own story
VALUE. 7 HUBZone companies received targeted exposure allowing them to increase their national footprint in the federal, local and private industry. One of our judges, Anna Hakobyan (Global Sustainability, Supplier Diversity & Government Compliance Lead for AstraZeneca) brought a unique perspective on building and sustaining global supply chains. Her thought-provoking comments were often driven by out-of-the-box pitch solutions which reflected Ms. Hakabyan’s International Expertise (HUBZone has the capacity to go global).
ELEMENT. Companies had to design and present a 90-second elevator speech to dazzle the crowd. America's Got Talent had more forgiving judges than the Council’s panel of experts. The judges adhered strictly to the guidelines staying truly impartial. When it was all said and done, Trey T. Boone (Project Manager & Administrator for Boonerang Consulting LLC) walked away with a check for $1,000 proving that Facilities Support and Construction Services can still beat out Technology Services for the prize when the Pitch is “Said Best”!
Content Produced by Build-IT-Up, LLC
HUBZones Care – Kentucky & Arkansas Tornado Disaster Relief
As HUBZone advocates, we know how important grassroots efforts are in rebuilding communities, whether the devastation was immediate or over time. Let’s support these communities that were impacted by this disaster by providing resources making a difference to the people that need them the most. As always let’s show the nation that HUBZones Care about all communities, not just ours.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
DON'T WAIT FOR CHANGE,
MAKE IT HAPPEN!
www.HUBZoneCouncil.org