Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship Kicks Off Fall Semester with Minute Pitch Competition

The Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship kicked off its annual series of pitch competitions on October 4 with the Minute Pitch, where 20 ventures competed for a chance at $1,000. The event featured guest host Claudia Pazmany, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. Isenberg student Olivia Patt’s FlockFitness won first place, with Amanda Sherman’s FuseBloom coming in second place with a $700 prize, Isenberg’s Hoang Phuc’s EcoShoe claiming third place with a $500 prize, and Daniel Jaffe’s Adion winning the Audience Choice award, earning him $300.

Established in 2014 by Douglas and Diana Berthiaume, the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship serves as a pan-campus resource for entrepreneurship offering events and non-credit educational programs alongside incubator space for student ventures. Berthiaume’s efforts are also open to graduates of the university from within the last decade.

Startup bootcamps are scheduled throughout the academic year to empower innovators and entrepreneurs from across campus and provide them with specialized support. These bootcamps serve as an opportunity to encourage entrepreneurial ventures among the campus community and create an environment conducive to creativity and innovation.

Competitions held by the Berthiaume Center allow for students to sharpen their presentation skills and venture ideas to prepare for the spring’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Preliminary Round, where teams have the potential to reach the Final Round and win tens of thousands of equity-free funding for their startups.

“Our mission is to connect the right people and catalyze the creation of ventures that bring the university’s bright ideas to the world,” says Gregory S. Thomas ‘91, executive director of the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship.

Berthiaume is located in N175 in the Isenberg Business Innovation Hub and the incubator space is housed at 302 Bartlett Hall.

To learn more about the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship, visit www.umass.edu/entrepreneurship or contact berthiaume@isenberg.umass.edu.

UPCOMING BOOTCAMPS (All in Bartlett Hall 301):

Oct. 11 - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Intro to Business Plan

Oct. 18 - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Finance in Business

Oct. 26 - 5:30-7:00 p.m. - Pitching Camp (Innovation & Entrepreneurship Week)

Nov. 1 - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - How to Market Your Business

Nov. 19 - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Boot Camp (Round Table Discussion)

2023-24 COMPETITIONS (All in Old Chapel):

Nov. 6 - All Day - Technology Challenge (Deadline to apply: 10/20/23)

Nov. 8 - All Day - Hult Competition (Deadline to apply: 10/20/23)

Nov. 9 - All Day - Executive Pitch (Deadline to apply: 10/20/23)

Nov. 14 - 4:30-6:00 p.m. - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards Night

April 11 - All Day - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Preliminary Round (Deadline to apply:

3/24/24)

May 1 - 5:00-8:00 p.m. - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Final Round