IMPACT. The judges (Gloria Larkin (TargetGov), Rita Brooks (SAIC), Diane Dempsey (BAE Systems), and Anna Hakobyan (AstraZeneca)) made sure that the companies came ready to compete.
Gloria Larkin (TargetGov) and her team screened the entries to select the top 7 contestants for the live presentation in Virginia. For the last 20 years, Ms. Larkin’s company has been positioning her clients to win federal contracts (billions in just the last few years). She helped launch the Council’s first competition in 2019 and continues to shape the next generation of successful HUBZone contractors.
The event attendees were treated to a smorgasbord of golden nuggets from:
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Rita Brooks (Director of Small Business Programs for SAIC) is one of our greatest champions, she has been living in the HUBZone Council trenches for over a decade. Ms. Brooks is not only an exceptional judge but concurrently coaches HUBZone companies on how to position their company for the win. Her candor has resulted in targeted, passionate, solution-driven pitches that have opened the door to subcontracting and prime opportunities for many of our Council members. Ms. Brooks compelled 100s of attendees to focus on “what is in it for the client along with their differentiators” to make their pitches meaningful. She singlehandedly changed the 2021 Pitch Competition to one that continues to Empower Small Businesses.
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Ms. Dempsey (Director, Small Business Programs for BAE Systems Intelligence & Security Sector) reminded us of the critical steps to engage pitch listeners, the 3-Cs.
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Concise: capture the listener’s attention – free from jargon and fluff
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Connect: focus on what might be important to the listener
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Communicate: company name, be passionate, let it flow, tell your own story