BREW to feature high-stakes pitch competition: $125K up for grabs

A business pitch competition before a live audience on par with the popular TV show Shark Tank will be a featured event of this year’s Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week, set for Nov. 11-17. At stake will be at least $125,000, which will come from five regional business owners who will serve as both judges and investors. Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves, Wampold Companies founder Mike Wampold, Cajun Industries founder Lane Grigsby, Mercedez-Benz of Baton Rouge co-owner Joe Agresti, and Source Capital CEO Kevin Couhig all say they’re prepared to invest at least $25,000 each in the pitch competition winners if the deal is right. The exact venue and time for the event is still being determined. In the meantime, entrepreneurs and companies interested in taking part in the competition can submit their applications to SeNSE, which is producing the event, here. The deadline to submit an application is Oct. 12. Those chosen to participate in the live pitch competition will be notified prior to or during the week of Oct. 29. Pitches can be made by entrepreneurs or startups from anywhere, but must be willing to move to the Baton Rouge area should they be chosen and accept funding from an investor wishing to invest locally. Get all the details here. More BREW events will be announced as the week nears, and you can keep up to date with all the BREW news at its website here. BREW is presented by Business Report and the Louisiana Technology Park, and is supported by BRAC and RIO.