Oklahoma entrepreneurs to compete for $10,000 in Buffalo Lounge competition
Contact: Josh O’Brien,
Director of Entrepreneurial Development
(405) 813-2412 or email jobrien@i2E.org
Ten finalists have been named to compete in the second annual Buffalo Lounge Buffalo Lounge Elevator Pitch competition on March 10 at the Avenue on Congress, a popular restaurant and bar in Austin, Texas.
The Austin venue will offer a distinctive Oklahoma flavor as 10 interactive entrepreneurs pitch their new concepts for $10,000 in cash awards in front of a live audience and a panel of judges.
Finalists for the Buffalo Lounge Elevator Pitch Competition were selected last week from among video-taped submissions by a panel of investment professionals at i2E, Inc., a co-sponsor of the event along the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. First place winner will be awarded $5,000, with two $2,500 prizes awarded to runners-up.
The Oklahoma-based companies and entrepreneurs that will be competing are:
- Armore, Steve Cersonsky, Oklahoma City
- Baton, Justin Briggs, Oklahoma City
- Crunch Magic, Waylon Flinn, Norman
- Idefi Group, Brady Deaton, Tulsa
- InspireVive, LLC, Jared King, Bixby
- Service Chicken, John Burdin, Oklahoma City
- Siren, Ryan Phillips, Norman
- Sivi, Ashok Kamal, Oklahoma City
- The Two Guys Bow Tie Co., Tim Paslay, Broken Arrow
- Who Is On My Wi-Fi?, John Kerber, Oklahoma City
“This group of Buffalo Lounge Elevator Pitch finalists is going to wow the SXSW audience in Austin with their energetic style,” said Josh O’Brien, Director of Entrepreneurial Development for the Great Oklahoma City Chamber. “These are some of the most exciting new business concepts emerging anywhere, and we’re proud to have them as finalists in our pitch competition.”
A panel of Oklahoma investors will rank the Buffalo Lounge pitches based on criteria that includes quality of pitch, business viability, market opportunity, competitive advantage, management and energy of the pitch.
A free networking reception will be held at 5 p.m. Feb. 11 at the IAO Gallery, 706 W Sheridan in Oklahoma City. The reception will feature a drawing that will award a SXSW Platinum badge, valued at $1,595 and provides access to the music, film and interactive segments of the SXSW conference, as well as, access to a coveted Austin hotel room that is near all of the SXSW venues.
The Buffalo Lounge is a collaborative effort to spotlight Oklahoma companies and innovators at the South By Southwest Conference, which annual attracts more than 50,000 visitors in the areas of film, music and interactive. Several successful companies such as Twitter, Foursquare, Phonebooth and Highlight were either introduced or spotlighted at SXSW.
The Buffalo Lounge began in 2010 when the Oklahoma Film & Music Office, the Idea Collective and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber led an effort to create a collaborative initiative to increase Oklahoma’s presence at the SXSW festival.
More than 30 Oklahoma companies, agencies and organizations have participated in previous events held by the Buffalo Lounge in Austin. This year, the Buffalo Lounge will host four events at the Avenue on Congress, as well as a booth at the SXSW Exhibit Hall.
For more information or questions about The Buffalo Lounge Elevator Pitch Competition, contact O’Brien at jobrien@i2E.org or (405) 813-2412. For more information about the Buffalo Lounge and other Oklahoma activities at the SXSW Festival, please visit www.thebuffalolounge.com. For more information about SXSW, visit http://sxsw.com.
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