In order to tackle the lack of capital that women and minority owned small business owners and entrepreneurs face, Odyssey Media, Office Depot, Sundial Brands, and Coca-Cola’s 5by20 Initiative have joined together to present this year’s Keys To Success pitch contest. With the success of their initial launch in 2017, Odyssey Media recruited these additional partners to expand the awards to four 1st place finalists who will receive $25,000 each.
Odyssey Media’s founder and CEO, Linda Spradley Dunn, talked about how the pitch contest benefits minorities and women, saying that, “Multicultural women are the fastest growing segment of entrepreneurs, yet we receive less than 1% of venture capital. There is finally a program created for us, by us, to bridge the gap.”
Interested companies must be able to demonstrate that they are an M/WBE with two continuous years of operation, and must view at least three videos within Odyssey Media’s Business Sanctuary.
Complete applications must be in by May 15th, 2018, and finalists must be able to participate in the entire finals competition from May 22nd to 24th, 2018.
