PITCH With a Twist - Celebrating International Women's Day

March 5th, 2025

5:30PM – 7:30PM EST

$10,000 in cash prizes!

PITCH showcases innovation and entrepreneurship from University of Toronto and our greater community. Focusing on early-stage ventures, we bring together innovators from a variety of sectors to pitch their businesses for cash prizes and in-kind support.

Join us on March 5th, 2025 for our PITCH, International Women’s Month Edition, to stand in support of women entrepreneurs at a competition that promises to break down barriers and reward great ideas from diverse voices.

Join us in celebrating creativity and entrepreneurship led by women-identifying innovators! Featuring a panel of women-identifying judges, this event highlights brilliant ideas and early-stage startups from two distinct streams. Explore inspiring ventures as finalists showcase their projects at booths, where judges and attendees alike can engage directly with the entrepreneurs. Learn from exceptional speakers sharing their journeys, network with leading companies, and experience the excitement at the heart of entrepreneurship in action.

Speaker:

Kayli Smith (she/her)

Passionate about transforming the packaging industry through sustainability, Kayli Smith is the founder of Friendlier, leading the charge in transitioning from single-use to reusable solutions. With a background in chemical engineering and a steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship, Kayli fuses technical expertise with a dedication to sustainable practices. Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Impact, Kayli is driven by the vision of establishing a circular packaging supply chain that minimizes waste and maximizes efficiency.

Venture Categories:

Early stage

Do you have a business idea that will change the world for better? If you have an idea that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals then you should apply here!

Eligibility Criteria:

Must have a self-identified woman founder or co-founder
Submission to uphold equity and inclusion practices, which includes “creat[ing] a climate of understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of each person”, in keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Registrants must be a student or alumni of the University of Toronto; OR participants of any of the U of T CLA/Incubator programs – or a regional incubator (e.g. EDGE at Sheridan College, IDEA Mississauga, etc.)
Product or service idea must not be in the market (pre-launch)
Less than $25k in investments (Angels, VCs, grants) as of February 21^th, 2025

Later stage

If you are the founder of co-founder of an early-stage start-up that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals then you should apply here!

Eligibility Criteria:

Must have a self-identified women founder or co-founder
Submission to uphold equity and inclusion practices, which includes “creat[ing] a climate of understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of each person”, in keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Must be incorporated in Canada
Registrants must be a student or alumni of the University of Toronto; OR participants of any of the U of T CLA/Incubator programs – or a regional incubator (e.g. EDGE at Sheridan College, IDEA Mississauga, etc.)
Less than $100k in cumulative revenue and/or external investment (Angels, VCs, grants) as of February 21^th, 2025

All finalists must be able to:

Available to showcase venture at booth to judges for the duration of the event
U of T students and alumni are strongly encouraged to register and complete the free UTE IP Education Program – Level 1 modules (~2 hours) before the competition.

Important Dates:

Applications open: January 13th, 2025
Applications closed: February 21st, 2025
Event: March 5^th, 2025 5:30-7:30 pm

Prizes

$10,000 in cash prizes
1:1 Coaching Package: Powering startup growth with Product-Market Fit
- If you’re a startup founder looking to get your first few customers or you’re just beginning to scale with a few hundred thousand in revenue – there’s one milestone that will make or break your business: that’s Product-Market Fit. With this 6-month coaching program (1hr session per month) you can expect to learn the foundations of launching a successful startup, assess where you stand, and what you need to do to improve and achieve fit with 3 core strategies that drive growth. Miss this at your own peril, poor Product-Market Fit is the #1 reason for startup failure! This coaching package is run by Chris Bardos, a product commercialization and growth expert with 14 years in the trenches. He drives growth for early-stage, venture-backed founders by maximizing product-market fit, so teams can go from pushing their product, to having the market pull it from them. Past teams hit Canada’s Fast 50 and raised >$53M. See www.chrisbardos.com
Booking Keeping/Account Support: A set of financial statements, Corporate income tax return, Sales tax return, T4/T5 slips for founders/shareholders. See srjca.com

Judging Criteria

Problem Statement: Clearly defined, communicated, solution solves problem.
Venture Concept (Feasibility): Unique (patent, trademark, trade secret), innovative customer validation, experience with concept.
Size of Opportunity / Competition: Scalable, market, customers, competitive environment, innovation.
Validation/Traction: Demonstrated interest from potential clients or growth in sales or users.
Business Model: Operationally feasible, financially attractive, investment required to get to market.
Marketing/Sales/Partnerships: Distribution network established / accessible, potential for revenue, partnership opportunities.
Strength of Entrepreneur/Team: Leadership, experience, commitment, coachable, team experience, understand missing skills.
Global Considerations: Does this idea incorporate any of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals? (i.e. poverty, education, clean water, etc.).
Equity/Intercultural Lens: Inclusive, reaches a diverse audience; aspires to have a positive impact on underrepresented groups.