Image Courtesy/LAVA

BUSINESS News:

Three entrepreneurs who deliver the best 60-second speech at the Elevator Pitch Contest Thursday morning will share in $1,500 in total prize money. 

SIVI Corporation and Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Feynman Center for Innovation (FCI) and Community Programs Office (CPO) are sponsoring the event and providing the prize money. The contest is hosted by LACDC’s Los Alamos Venture Accelerator (LAVA) and part of Los Alamos ScienceFest.

The Elevator Pitch Contest is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fuller Lodge and open to anyone with a business or even a business idea. Even people who don’t have a business idea, but want a chance to practice giving an elevator speech are welcome to participate.

No experience is required; the first three hours of Thursday will be spent learning and practicing the elevator pitch. Everyone will discover how to instantly engage a potential customer or investor so that they will take the next step; to meet, join or invest.

“This is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to strut their stuff and ask for anything they need,” said Nicholas Seet, the founder of LAVA.

The contest will be judged by a panel of local experts, including Duncan McBranch, who spurs on entrepreneurs from LANL through his job as CTO. Prizes will be awarded at the OutSTANDING InnOVATION awards banquet hosted by LANL’s Richard P. Feynman Center for Innovation 5-8 p.m., Thursday at the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area.

Visit LAVA’s website www.lava.guru for updates and invitations to upcoming events for entrepreneurs.

Los Alamos ScienceFest, Sept. 5-13, is a weeklong festival that celebrates Los Alamos as a center of science and creativity. The festival features an exciting line-up of interactive demonstrations, creative competitions, dynamic speakers, community tours and educational-flavored social gatherings to engage families and youth in science. Learn more at LosAlamosScienceFest.com

Los Alamos MainStreet produces Los Alamos ScienceFest in partnership with Los Alamos Creative District, and Los Alamos County. A committee of community partners, organizations and local businesses leads the festival.

Los Alamos ScienceFest is sponsored in part by Los Alamos National Bank, Los Alamos Medical Center, The Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Positive Energy Solar, Hubble Electro-Mechanical, BMW of Santa Fe, The Education Plan, First National Bank of Santa Fe and Lumenscapes 360.