You’ve likely heard of "flipping" the classroom. What about flipping the pitch?
Michael Goldstein, founder and President of SwitchPitch, is shaking up the classic model of pitch competitions, where entrepreneurs try to sell their ideas to potential funders or judges. Instead, SwitchPitch brings in larger companies and organizations to pitch potential projects to entrepreneurs.
Part of National Education Week, SwitchPitch launched its first education vertical event at 1776, a startup incubator and co-working space in Washington, D.C., on Monday, November 10. SwitchPitch events typically support the broader startup ecosystem, bringing together 200 entrepreneurs and 12-15 companies to present.
For its first edtech-focused event, Goldstein kept it more intimate, limiting it to 75 entrepreneurs and the following organizations and calls for projects.
- McCann World Group: creative virtual corporate training platform
- Shalom Learning: lesson sharing and rating platform for Jewish studies
- CampusMD: metrics and analysis for evaluating communications and outreach
- District of Columbia Public Schools, Office of Data: RTI tracking system
After the presentations, the event turned to a speed dating format, “where all the deals happen,” according to Goldstein. These 10-minute sessions allow organizations, companies and entrepreneurs to determine who might be a good partner fits that merit follow-up.
The College Board, Holocaust Museum, New York City Department of Education and Sidwell Friends didn’t pitch funded projects, but were also available to meet with startups.
Stay tuned for more updates from National Education Week from EdSurge CEO Betsy Corcoran and Summits Director, Katrina Stevens!
