The New Ventures & Social Innovation Pitch Competition
The annual Colburn New Ventures & Social Innovation Pitch Competition encourages the entrepreneurial spirit by providing strategic and financial support to students and alumni up to one year post-grad who wish to launch new business ideas, community impact programming, and innovative performances. Grants from the competition can range from Pilot Grants of $1000-$2000 to Venture Launch Grants of $2000-4000, and grantees receive a full year of advising from Colburn School staff and faculty.
Previous winners include Brasstache and the Honduras Oboe Project Education (HOPE).
To enter the competition, students must have successfully completed or be enrolled in MCD 301/501 “The Enterprising Creative” or SEM 020i “New Ventures & Social Innovation.” Awards are announced each Spring.
Those interested in participating in this year’s competition may fill out an application below. The 2026 New Ventures & Social Innovation Competition will be held on May 2, 2026 from 11am to 1pm and will include a 5-minute live pitch, followed by a 10-minute panel Q&A.
The deadline to apply is Friday April 17th, 2026 at 5:00pm PST