Innovation & Job News

Michael Goldstein is about to make a lot of seasoned professionals very uncomfortable. Goldstein is the driving force behind SwitchPitch, an event that will see 20 – 25 media, advertising and education technology companies pitching their "shovel-ready" project needs to 100 start-ups. The event is slated for Thursday, March 21, at 1 p.m. at the new 1776 campus.

Each corporate representative will have five minutes to pitch a project. A networking reception will follow the pitch event, with companies at tables and start-ups free to roam around and make connections. "We're hoping for meaningful projects that result in partnerships and signed contracts," Goldstein says.

According to Sita Vasan, executive director of SwitchPitch, the D.C. Office of Economic Development, StartUp America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce all support the event. "It's a key initiative of the D.C. economic office," Vasan explains.

Goldstein is the founder of Endeavor DC, an accelerator for consumer Internet start-ups based in Georgetown. He says that the idea behind SwitchPitch came when he was chatting with Ollen Douglass, CFO of The Motley Fool, and thought, "it would be great if we could get start-ups to see what we're doing."

Start-ups that wish to attend need to apply on SwitchPitch's website. There is no fee to apply or attend the event. "Some start-ups will be a better fit than others," Goldstein explains. Likely projects include social media applications, mobile apps, and an intranet site. There are two projects currently posted on the site.

The event is free for all parties; the tab is being picked up by a host of sponsors including Endeavor DC, Merritt Group, CVENT, Patton Boggs, Startup DC, In the Capital and Microsoft, Ambrose, and LookThink.

Vasan states that a preliminary, invitation-only event will be held to assist companies in honing their pitches. "Having a corporate executive pitch for only five minutes? That's a revolution."