on May 4, 2023, with co-sponsorship by EBSCO and ALA.

The competition focuses on how libraries can support aspiring and existing small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other aspects of local economic development. This year, emphasis was on pitches related to local equity issues and marginalized populations. Five finalists were chosen to compete on Pitch Day from an initial pool of 30 applicants from the U.S. and Canada. Winners of the competition received cash prizes totaling $10,000, as well as opportunities for mentoring following the competition. The contestants each had 5 minutes to present their proposals, focusing on topics such as formerly incarcerated individuals, teen and young adult engagement, and resources for the legacy community in the cannabis industry. Following deliberation by a panel of judges and an attendee poll to determine the audience favorite, the 2023 winner of the ELC Pitch Competition was Hillary Peppers of the St. Louis County (MO) Library, with “Pitch Perfect: Empowering Encore Entrepreneurs.” This pitch focused on what libraries can do to provide assistance to entrepreneurs over the age of 55.  

With 12 years of experience in adult services, Peppers found that older entrepreneurs are at a greater risk of depleting their savings and endangering their retirement, and that the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges. To address this, Peppers pitched an 8-week workshop for entrepreneurs 55 years or older, focusing on combating ageism, use of technology, and leveraging life experience towards business operations—culminating in a community pitch competition and extension of memberships to the local Chamber of Commerce for all course participants. 

The audience choice award was given to Karly Feinberg of Baltimore County (MD) Public Library (BCPL), with “Clean Start: Supporting the Reentry Community.” Clean Start provides skills training, supplies, and insurance coverage for formerly incarcerated individuals with an interest in starting or working with a cleaning service. Clean Start builds upon BCPL’s flagship small business program, Entrepreneur Academy.  

Audience members were impressed with each of the proposals, reflecting that understanding potential community partners is key to success. One participant noted that “all of the libraries are very in touch with the needs of their communities.”  

All finalists are expected to provide a 3-month progress update and 6-month final report back to the ELC Community to share their progress with implementing their program ideas. These check-ins are designed to build accountability and foster relationship building within the ELC Community. Additionally, as libraries pilot these innovative new ideas, they bolster the entire field with lessons learned, promising practices, and opportunities to scale and sustain successful initiatives.  

Pitching is an important skill for entrepreneurs to effectively communicate their business ideas and goals. The same goes for library workers, who want to build successful communication skills and confidence to better connect with community stakeholders and program participants. Feinberg stated, “Events like the ELC Pitch Competition help showcase and inspire library professionals to rethink the role their library plays in local economic development, especially when it comes to marginalized populations in their community.” 

Congratulations to the finalists on successful pitches! 

Final Rankings: 

1st Place ($4,000):  

Hillary Peppers, St. Louis County Library (MO) 

“Pitch Perfect: Empowering Encore Entrepreneurs” 

2nd Place ($2,500) & Audience Choice award ($1,000): 

Karly Feinberg, Baltimore County Public Library (MD) 

“Clean Start: Supporting the Reentry Community” 

3rd Place ($1,500): 

Jennifer Byrnes, Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County (NY) 

“The Accidental Cannabis Czar: Helping Patrons Navigate the Legal Cannabis Industry” 

4th & 5th Place (tied- $500): 

Matt McNally, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (NV) 

“Teen Tycoons” 

Emily Tobin, West Bloomfield Township Public Library (MI) 

“Community Business Works” 

The post ELC Pitch Competition Showcases Library Services to Support Small Business Communities  first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

ALA’s Libraries Build Business and EBSCO are teaming up to co-sponsor the third annual ELC Pitch Competition, with $10,000 in prizes up for grabs! Submissions are now open through March 24^th. The five winners will receive free pitch consulting with consultant Jenn Hensel of ElePitch prior to pitch day as well as free peer mentoring from library colleagues to help develop their program post-competition.

The prizes are as follows:
1st place: $4,000
2nd place: $2,500
3rd place: $1,500
4th & 5th place (tie): $500
Audience choice award: $1,000 (added to that library’s prize)

An essential component of success for entrepreneurs is an entrepreneurial mindset – a set of skills that help people see and make the most of opportunities, learn from setbacks, and succeed in their endeavors, including critical thinking, creativity, and strong communication. Navigating risks and challenges and being open to feedback and rejection are also key to success.

To get started, a new business idea needs funding, and to get funding, you often need buy-in from your community or investors in the field. This means effectively communicating your idea and your goals to build support. A business pitch is a hallmark of any startup entrepreneur’s experience. Budding or aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their idea to investors to get funding, or to potential customers who would pay for your product or service to build a customer base, building enthusiasm about the business idea and confidence in its success.

In that spirit, adopt the entrepreneurial mindset for yourself, and pitch a library program, service, or resource that supports local economic development to a panel of judges and the audience at the ELC Pitch Competition!

To get in front of the judges and compete for prizes, submit a pitch. Public, school, special, and academic libraries from the United States and Canada are encouraged to apply. The focus of the competition is how a library can support local economic development, job hunters, workforce development, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and/or small businesses. For 2023, the ELC is particularly interested in pitches that focus on local equity issues or marginalized populations and communities.

Key dates:

February 15: Submissions open
February 16: “Pitch perfect” workshop (3-4:15pm Eastern via Zoom)
March 24: Submissions deadline
April 3: “Top five” libraries notified & connected with ELC pitch consultant Jenn Hensel for free consulting
May 4: Pitch competition (3-5pm Eastern via Zoom, open to all)

Check out the Pitch Workshop recording for strategies and inspiration in building your perfect pitch: considering your goals, perfecting your script, and presenting your ideas with confidence and enthusiasm. Consult the Libraries Build Business Playbook, a free resource collaboratively developed by 13 public libraries from around the United States, for promising practices and advice on building a quality program.

Beyond the competition and the potential to fund your business community, the Pitch Competition is an opportunity to meet other like-minded library workers interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. Your pitch and your feedback will inspire others, and the goal is to stay connected as we learn and grow together. Regardless of the outcome of the competition, libraries can collaborate to cultivate ideas, share feedback, and improve their programs to the benefit of their business communities.

Check out the ELC webpage for more information, including policies and details about the mentoring program. Stay tuned for registration information to attend the Competition on May 4^th! Please reach out to any of the co-chairs for more information as you formulate your pitch.

• Angel Truesdale, UNC Charlotte: Angel.Truesdale@uncc.edu
• Megan Janicki, American Library Association: mjanicki@alawash.org
• Steve Cramer, UNC Greensboro: smcramer@uncg.edu

The post Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Mindset: Pitch Your Business Service Idea and Win Cash Prizes! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.