Please join us: February Chamber Luncheon
180 S. Main St.
Martinsville Chamber to host 'DUKE IT OUT'
business pitch competition for Martinsville youth
The Martinsville Chamber of Commerce will host its inaugural student business pitch competition on Thursday, February 22. The Duke It Out Business Pitch Competition, powered by Duke Energy, and co-hosted by the Gayle & Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship at Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington and the MSD of Martinsville, will take place at 6 p.m. in the community room at South Central Indiana REMC.
"Students will have three minutes each to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges," said Chris Beil, chair of the Chamber's Workforce & Community Development Team. "The judges will also have five minutes per applicant to ask questions. Winners with the top three pitches will receive prizes of up to $250 and free business consulting arranged by the Chamber."
Students in 7
th - 12
th grade at MSD of Martinsville schools, Tabernacle Christian School and homeschools in the MSD of Martinsville school district are invited to apply for a spot in the Duke It Out competition. A practice session for the competitors will take place on Thursday, February 8, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Launch Martinsville inside the Main Connection at 460 S. Main St. (former school admin building). Mentors specializing in different areas of business will be available to assist the students in developing and improving their pitches.
"Members of the Martinsville Chamber of Commerce understand the need to engage our young citizens," said Maura Giles, chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors. "In order to be a city with businesses that thrive, and young people who want to return to their hometown and promote economic development, we must encourage entrepreneurship, develop opportunities for education, and create strategies to secure a workforce ready to meet the needs of existing and future Martinsville-area employers."
"The Chamber works in close partnership with the MSD of Martinsville careers classes and this will be a fun, but meaningful way to expose our youth to the possibilities of starting and growing their own business right here in our community," said Jamie Taylor, president/CEO of the Martinsville Chamber. "We are looking forward to being inspired by some great young minds!"
