Women-Owned Business Pitch Contest: $50K in Prizes

KeyBank’s Key4Women program, in collaboration with Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) and the Portland Thorns FC, has announced 10 finalists for a business pitch competition aimed at women-owned businesses in Oregon and Southwest Washington. These finalists were selected from a pool of 86 applicants, evaluated by a panel of experienced judges, and will compete for a total of $50,000 in cash prizes, with the grand prize winner receiving $20,000.
 
The finalists are:

 
“We are incredibly excited to introduce our ten finalists,” said Josh Lyons, president of KeyBank's Oregon and SW Washington market. “Women-owned businesses are making significant contributions to our economy and communities daily. We are proud to support their initiatives, and this competition is more than just an event for us; it’s a personal mission. We commend each finalist and all who applied.”
 
Cobi Lewis, Executive Director and CEO of MESO, added, “At MESO, we passionately support women entrepreneurs and their ability to transform the small business landscape. We are thrilled to be part of an event that showcases the passion, innovation, and determination we see in our daily work.”
 
Portland Thorns president of business operations, Alexis Lee, stated, “We are honored to be part of a program that promotes women’s entrepreneurship. Women-owned businesses have the power to create significant economic and cultural impacts, fostering inclusive spaces and a vibrant community. Congratulations to the finalists, and we wish them all the best.”
 
MESO has provided support and mentorship throughout the application process and will continue to offer workshops and mentoring to help the finalists prepare their pitches.
 
To be eligible, businesses must be at least 51% owned and controlled by a woman or women, or by individuals who self-identify as women. Additionally, they must be headquartered in specific counties in Oregon or Washington. Eligible applicants could be entrepreneurs with new business ideas or existing businesses looking to expand with a new product or service, as long as they have annual sales of less than $3 million.
 
The finalists will deliver a 4-minute pitch, followed by a 6-minute Q&A session, on October 10th at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. The event will also be livestreamed by the Thorns.
 
Click here to know more.

The final awards will be determined by a panel of judges who will evaluate the presentations based on the quality of the pitch, the clarity of the business vision and mission, the potential economic impact of the idea, and the strength of the value proposition.