Stepping Up to the Hot Seat

Students make their pitch on the Hot Seat at the Summer Venture Program.
Listen

One by one on a Wednesday afternoon, Summer Venture Program (SVP) entrepreneurs took their place in front of a classroom of peers.

With a slideshow presentation behind them, the entrepreneurs pitched their products. Some shared personal stories to relate to the audience, while others disclosed powerful statistics to make their point more compelling.

This pitch practice featured a special guest: MassChallenge CEO Siobhan Dullea. She was there to listen and provide feedback as entrepreneurs prepared for the upcoming Summer Venture Showcase.

“They really appreciated her comments and advice, considering she has been so involved in the Boston startup ecosystem,” said Antonette Ho, associate director of entrepreneur programs for the Blank Center.

The Blank Center makes pitch practice a key component of SVP. First launched in 2010, the Hot Seat, a signature experience of SVP, is a chance for entrepreneurs to practice pitching and receive real-time feedback. All SVP participants go on the Hot Seat at least once during the summer.

Before taking the metaphorical stage, entrepreneurs must identify their role-playing audience, frequently as investors or customers.

After their pitch, the group provides the entrepreneur with feedback not on the business model, but how engaging and persuasive the entrepreneur was in their pitch. A group then works with the entrepreneur to fine tune their pitch ahead of the showcase.

Ho said the purpose of the Hot Seat is for participants to receive honest feedback.

“SVP is not for credit,” Ho said. “The exercise really helps them hone in on their skill set as a presenter and communicator.”

“Because there’s no grade attached to it, a lot of people when providing feedback are more honest.”

The Summer Venture Showcase is the culmination of the annual program. For 10 weeks, 13 teams of undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurs from Babson College, F.W. Olin College of Engineering, and Wellesley College have developed their ventures, from consumer products to services and tech, while receiving expert advice and access to top resources along the way.

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

More from Community »

Latest Stories

Wearing Babson-branded hard hats, nine people gather to break ground ceremonially
Babson Breaks Ground on New Executive Lodge and Conference Center Babson College trustees, leaders, and dignitaries celebrated the beginning of construction of the new Executive Lodge and Conference Center with a formal groundbreaking ceremony last week.
By
October 28, 2025

Posted in Community

Composite of four headshots of the new trustees
Four New Members Join the Babson Board of Trustees Rebecca Shaghalian Larkin ’91, Shikhar Malhotra ’04, Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25, and Patty Pytlik ’11, MBA’25 have been elected to the Babson Board of Trustees.
By
October 27, 2025

Posted in Community

Babson students learning financial literacy.
The Credit Habit: Babson Finance Students on Gen Z’s Growing Reliance on 'Buy Now, Pay Later' From Coachella tickets to Taco Bell, "Buy Now, Pay Later" is a growing generational habit. Babson’s financiers of the future warn that without financial literacy, it can turn into costly dependence.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
October 24, 2025

Posted in Insights