Student Events

Nicolet College will again be hosting our Pitch Contest in Spring 2025. Dates and other details are not confirmed yet, but if you have a business pitch idea, let us know. The contest is open to any Nicolet College student in any area of study.

Nicolet College will also be the host of the Regional Pitch Contest, with all the other schools visiting our campus.

The info from last year's contest is below on this website. The dates and location will change, but rules and other details will remain the same.

If you have questions, just send an email to Pitch coordinator Curt Drumm at cdrumm@nicoletcollege.edu.

2024 Event Details - Watch for more information for the 2025 event.

Do you have an idea for a new business or product? We want to hear it! Apply now and compete in the Nicolet College Pitch Event. Presenters have four minutes to pitch their idea and two minutes for Q&A. The top-prize winner will receive $500! Second place wins $300 and third place $200.

Our top two (2) prize winners will advance to compete against contestants from six other two-year campuses at the NEW Ideas Pitch Challenge on April 25th. Prize money for first place at the regional event is $1,000

Hosted by the Nicolet College Business Division and sponsored by the Nicolet College Foundation. 

Special thanks to NACCE, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. NACCE works to engage members through entrepreneurial thinking and innovative action, and is one of the lead sponsors of this Pitch Contest.

We would also like to thank Kwik Trip and their over-800 stores in the Midwest for supporting this event.

See below for more information about our supporting sponsors.

Event Details & Parameters

Eligibility 

• This is a 2-part pitch competition. The first round will be held locally at the Nicolet College campus in Rhinelander, WI. 
• The top two finishers will be able to advance to the Regional competition. 
• Contestants must be enrolled as a student at Nicolet College in any area of study in the current academic year (degree, technical diploma or certificate program, individual coursework, or other for-credit education) and have a valid student ID number. High School Transcripted Credit students are permitted to compete.
• Students may only compete once during their enrollment at Nicolet College.
• Individual or Team presentations are permitted. 
• This is a “Business idea” style pitch event, encouraging students from all areas of Nicolet College with a business idea to compete.
• The business idea being pitched cannot have raised more than $20,000 in funding or have earned more than $20,000 in revenue. 
• There is no requirement for the potential scalability of business ideas.  
• Lifestyle, products (manufactured or sold) or service businesses are acceptable. 
• You must be available to PITCH the idea to judges in-person at Nicolet College at 5pm April 10, 2024.
• Top two (2) local Nicolet prize winners are able to advance to the Regional competition on April 25th.
• Complete the PITCH COMPETITION Registration Form by 5pm Wednesday, April 3rd. and submit via e-mail to cdrumm@nicoletcollege.edu.  Nicolet participants will be notified with details.
• Nicolet College will provide mentors and advisors to help contestants with their presentations.

Pitch Structure

• Individuals/teams will prepare a four (4) minute action-oriented pitch about a business idea. 
• The Pitch should be designed to sell the idea to an investor and/or lender.
• A maximum of five (5) PowerPoint slides, or other visual aids, are encouraged.
• Formal presentation materials or a complete business plan are not required.
• A panel of three judges may ask up to three questions each.
• Responses to the questions must be limited to two minutes.
• The order of the pitches will be randomly selected prior to the competition.
• Personalized coaching from Nicolet staff and faculty, and other advisors, will be available.
• The focus of the event is education, not publicity, but press releases, names and photographs may be used to cover this event, at both the local and regional level.
• The Pitch Contest is not open to the public.

Local Pitch Competition at Nicolet College on April 10th

• Nicolet College will host our local competition on Wednesday, April 10th at 5:00pm (on campus.)
• A panel of three (3) judges shall select the top three (3) overall best pitches.
• Cash prizes are awarded to first place ($500), second place ($300), and third place ($200).
• The top two (2) Nicolet winners will advance to compete at the regional NEW Idea Pitch Challenge. 

NEW Ideas Regional Pitch Challenge with seven Regional 2-year WTCS Colleges on April 25th 

• NEW Ideas Pitch Challenge will be held at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, WI on April 25th from 4-7pm. Cleveland is located in eastern Wisconsin, between Manitowoc and Sheboygan.
• You may travel on your own schedule, and Nicolet College will provide a transportation, hotel and meal allowance, if needed.
• There will be two contestants from each of seven WTCS colleges, for a total of 14 contestants. 
• A panel of three (3) judges shall select the four (4) overall best pitches.
• The decision of the judges is final.
• Cash prizes are awarded to first place ($1000), second place ($500), third place ($250), and fourth prize ($100). All contestants will receive a $50 Kwik Trip Gift Card as a Participation Award

Additional Information

• There are no restrictions on prize money awarded to students for either event.  Students may use the money however they wish. The contest will distribute W-9 or other tax documentation required by the IRS. 
• This event is hosted by the Nicolet College Business Division and sponsored by the Nicolet College Foundation. 
• The Nicolet College Foundation provides students with the academic and financial resources they need to make the most of their education, producing better-prepared and motivated graduates for the local workforce, and inspiring the gift-giving tradition.
• Special thanks to NACCE, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. NACCE is the nation’s leading co-creator and distributor of resources to transform underserved communities through community college engagement. NACCE represents 370+ community and technical colleges and more than 3,000 faculty, staff, administrators and presidents who serve over four million students. NACCE works to engage members through entrepreneurial thinking and innovative action, and is one of the lead sponsors of this event.
• We would also like to thank Kwik Trip and their over 800 stores in the Midwest for supporting this event.
• Regional competition prize money is sponsored by participating colleges.
• For further information, contact Curt Drumm, Business and Entrepreneurship Instructor at Nicolet College at cdrumm@nicoletcollege.edu.

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