Scenes from Rocket Pitch

Three minutes. Three slides. It’s simple yet exhilarating. It’s fast and frenzied. And, it’s a Babson rite of passage for many student and alumni entrepreneurs. 

It’s Rocket Pitch. For more than 20 years, the signature event of The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship has provided entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to pitch their endeavors and collect real-time feedback, ideas, and connections. It’s a proven process to improve pitches and fuel ventures. 

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Rocket Pitch this year featured 56 entrepreneurs representing 51 ventures presenting simultaneously in four rooms over three hectic hours. For presenters and attendees, it’s a fast-paced exchange of ideas.

Flip through the slideshow below, as we go behind the scenes to illustrate the buzz of excitement and inspiration that boosts Rocket Pitch. 

The Setting » 4 Rooms

Olin Hall is abuzz with activity long before the first pitch at 5:10 p.m. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff members register then make their way to one of four rooms, each dedicated to a different industry: Consumer Products & Services, Education & Sustainability, Tech & Mobile, and Fashion, Pets & Food. This year, for the first time, first-year students in Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship are required to attend, introducing them to this hallmark Babson experience and the Blank Center. Over the next three hours, attendees will rush from room to room in a rapid succession of entrepreneurial activity. 

The Pitch » 3 Minutes

Babson’s hallmark Entrepreneurial Thought & Action^® comes to life as rapid-fire pitches begin simultaneously in all four rooms. Presenters have been honing their pitches, incorporating feedback from bullpen sessions with the Blank Center and Babson’s acclaimed Speech Center. Now, it’s showtime, and each entrepreneur has just three minutes and three slides to make their pressure-packed pitch pop. The presenters this year include 27 undergraduate students, 20 MBA students, four MSEL students, and two MSBA students, as well as three recent alumni.

The Feedback » 5 Minutes

After the pitches, the magic begins, as the audience of peers, mentors, and other startup supporters has five minutes to share real-time feedback on the venture and the pitch, offering praise and constructive criticism. No questions are allowed, and presenters cannot respond in order to hone the entrepreneurial leadership skill of listening. There are just two minutes before the next pitches begin, so if you’re switching rooms, move fast. The whirlwind experience repeats over and over, as dozens of entrepreneurs make their pitches and absorb the reaction. In the end, entrepreneurs gain valuable feedback, important connections, and, sometimes, even a potential investor. 

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Tagged Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Entrepreneurship Education, Graduate, Student Life, Undergraduate, Babson Magazine

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