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A 90 Second Pitch, a Great Learning Experience at National CEO Conference

Extroverts, ambitious students, thinkers, engineers, and some liberal arts majors – those are among the students attending the national Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) annual meeting in fall 2011, said Josh Bielick. He was among those attending, representing NC State’s chapter of the CEO Club.

“You couldn’t really take anyone at face value,” said Bielick, a senior in Poole College’s bachelor of business administration program with a concentration in entrepreneurship. “Each conversation revealed the fascinating details of their achievements and life back home.”

The workshops and breakout sessions covered topics such as “Business Swag 101” and “What Matters Most in a Startup.” The latter was presented by Michael DeLazzer, founding member of Redbox, LLC. Bielick said he attended that session because he was interested in the story behind DeLazzer’s business model, which disrupted the movie rental business.

“[Redbox, LLC] was a completely successful innovation of an already existing point-of-sale concept—vending machines,” Bielick said. DeLazzer’s entertaining story captured the attention of the collegiate audience and inspired the students to not give up in light of the impossible or self-doubt, Bielick said. “He gave an inspiring story and call to work hard and make the difficult decisions—be brave,” he said.

Bielick also was among students from 113 colleges participating in the conference’s elevator pitch competition. He was among 33 to clear the elimination round but did not make it into the semifinals.

Even so, Bielick said, “I was extremely honored to represent NCSU on a national level. The whole time I was glowing. I couldn’t believe I was selected.”

Bielick had pitched his business plan for a bike-sharing program for Raleigh, N.C. His plan, which would require $3 million in start-up funds, was based on start-ups that succeeded in cities such as Portland, Oregon., and Montreal, Canada.

With only ninety seconds for his presentation, Bielick relied on his belief and passion to make his pitch to the panel of judges. Although he did not make it to the semi-finals, Bielick said he learned a great deal from the experience.

“It was an unforgettable experience in perspective,” Bielick said, “staying in touch with what’s going on in the venture world and realizing that there [is] a host of sharp minds out there aspiring to build, design, and change the way we live. It was certainly encouraging, uplifting, and educational.”

Read more:

  • CEO Club chapter at NC State University – https://www.facebook.com/NCSUCEO
  • Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization – http://www.c-e-o.org/