Apply now for the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center ‘What’s the Big Idea’ competition
The 'What's the Big Idea' competition is intended to inspire community members with business ideas to take the leap in turning them from idea to reality in one short weekend. Applications close on Tuesday, January 20.
When you have an early-stage business idea in the Knoxville area, there are a few avenues to take. You can start it privately in your home, tell some friends, and start slowly spreading the word. Or, you can take to the big stage, pitch the idea to a room full of supporters, head into the business with momentum, and maybe even take home $10,000.
Doesn’t option two sound riveting? The Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC) seems to think so! For over a decade, they have operated a 48-hour idea-to-reality pitch competition. It is called ‘What’s the Big Idea?’ for entrepreneurs across the Knoxville area.
The competition weekend is March 20-22. It invites participants into an intensive period of prototyping, incubation, and launching. It includes working side-by-side with local business mentors. These mentors come from various industries and help craft the perfect pitch for your new startup business or idea.
The winning idea will be advanced to one of the KEC’s business cohorts. It will be eligible for $10,000 in prize money after completing the program.
“Big Idea is one of the highlights of our year. It brings together familiar faces and first-time participants, all driven by bold ideas and a willingness to build fast. There’s something special about watching those ideas take shape and gain momentum over just 48 hours, and that’s often just the start for these great companies,” said Jim Biggs, the Executive Director of KEC.
Applications for this year’s WTBI competition are open until Tuesday, January 20. Founders can apply here.
Once all applications are submitted by January 20th, the KEC team will ask a select number of companies to submit a 2-minute pitch. Starting February 9th, the public will be able to vote on their favorite companies and ideas. The number of public votes a company receives will have an impact on the final teams selected. The competition includes a 48-hour launch, ending with the finale pitch presentation on March 22nd.
You can find more information about this year’s competition here.
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