This piece was originally published on PRNewswire.
COLUMBUS, Ohio and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Access to sufficient capital is critical for small business owners looking to take their companies to the next level. After sifting through thousands of applications from across the country, Nationwide and Bluevine have selected seven small businesses to compete as finalists in the “Pitch To Win” contest on Oct. 3, 2019, for the chance to win $100,000 to support their businesses.
Each finalist will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Nationwide’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, where they will present their unique business proposals in person to an executive panel of judges, comprised of Kelley Earnhardt Miller, sister of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and co-owner of JR Motorsports; Eyal Lifshitz, founder and CEO of Bluevine; Jasmine Green, chief customer advocate at Nationwide; and Lisa Gobber, vice president of Small Commercial and Premium Audit at Nationwide. The winning business will be announced during a ceremony on Oct. 3 and will be awarded $100,000, with the runner up receiving $20,000 and third place earning $10,000. The awards will be non-dilutive, meaning business owners will not be required to give any ownership of their company to the sponsors.
The “Pitch To Win” finalists include:
“Nationwide once started as a small business aiming to provide trusted and fairly priced insurance coverage for America’s farmers,” said Tony Fenton, vice president of underwriting, product & new product development at Nationwide. “All of the ‘Pitch To Win’ finalists have demonstrated their industry expertise, commitment to growing their businesses and the unique market needs they are serving. We look forward to helping them take the next step with this contest and to partnering with Bluevine to continue supporting America’s small businesses.”
Nationwide, recently named No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction for Small Commercial Insurance by J.D. Power,* and small business financing company Bluevine, launched the “Pitch To Win” contest in May in recognition of National Small Business Week. More than 3,300 companies submitted proposals. In addition to a chance to win $100,000, each finalist will also meet and consult with experienced business experts.
“As a third generation small business entrepreneur, I was inspired by the thousands of contestants who submitted compelling proposals for an opportunity to accelerate their business growth with an influx of capital and leadership counsel,” said Eyal Lifshitz, Bluevine CEO and founder. “Every day at Bluevine, we see how additional capital can take small businesses to the next level and I’m eager to join Nationwide in supporting the ‘Pitch To Win’ finalists in scaling their diverse businesses, supporting their local communities and achieving their goals.”
The finalists will be featured on Nationwide’s and Bluevine’s social media platforms leading up to the Oct. 3 event.
For more information on “Pitch To Win” or to learn about the finalists, visit www.pitchtowinbig.com.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2019
*Nationwide received the highest score in J.D. Power’s 2018 and 2019 Small Commercial Insurance Studies of customers’ satisfaction with their insurance provider. Visit jdpower.com/awards.