What did you learn from the competition?
The competition was the perfect opportunity to distill the mission, vision, and progress of Park & Diamond into a quick presentation. It challenges you to concisely organize the progress while determining the next steps of the company. A successful pitch for IdeaFest requires the entrepreneurs to take a step back from the company in order to convey the big picture!
How was your experience pitching in the competition?
Nervous excitement. Two days prior to the event we participated in the VT KnowledgeWorks Global Entrepreneurs Semifinals where we won the grand prize. I am convinced that no matter how many presentations you give, you will always have that nervous excitement before the presentation.
What Recommendation do you have to the 2018 competitors?
IdeaFest has more to offer than just the grand prize. The exposure, advice, and encouragement that you may receive can make the experience worthwhile. The networking could lead to a potential investor, partner, or a connection that could push your company to the next level.
What’s your favorite thing about Danville?
We had an excellent experience in Danville and the facility was great!
What success has the company had and what are your plans for the future?
We participated in additional pitch competitions and were able to raise $180,000 in non-dilutive funding! These competitions included winning the Red Bull Launchpad competition and having a booth for 3 days at Tech Crunch Disrupt NY with Red Bull! They produced a Youtube video for us that reached over 2.5 million views and a combined 4 million views with ensuing media outlets. We have since went on to close our seed round of funding and are beginning sourcing and production in order to reach our goal of product launch in the Summer of 2018!
Do you have a favorite book about entrepreneurism?
Zero to One by Peter Thiel