Entrepreneurs are always pitching their companies. From the moment their idea pops into their brain, they start the process of pitching their business to their partners, suppliers, investors and others – whether they know it or not.
Pitching has become almost a sport, with competitions specializing in having entrepreneurs showcase their products and services. From the network show Shark Tank to local competitions like IdeaFame, there are more opportunities than ever for entrepreneurs to spotlight their businesses.
Now, one Arkansas entrepreneur will get the chance to pitch her company via an online platform.
April Roy, the founder and CEO of femPAQ, will be taking part in Lightship Capital’s Twitch Pitch. Now in its third season, Twitch Pitch is a competition that allows startups to pitch to real investors on Twitch, a video streaming platform.
Roy will be going head-to-head with another entrepreneur, Eat Fresh Prep CEO Joyce Sunday, in the competition. The stakes? A cool $10,000 plus $25,000 in Amazon credits for the winner. Each competitor gets 10 minutes to pitch their company, followed by 10 minutes of feedback from the judges and from viewer questions.
Roy’s company, femPAQ provides feminine emergency kits that contain a tampon, a pad, a panty liner, a black panty, a feminine wipe, a two-tablet packet of ibuprofen and a mini organic dark chocolate bar. “We provide sustainable convenience to menstrual health. We take the oops out of unexpected periods,” Roy said.
Twitch Pitch came Roy’s way when she received an email about the competition. Roy said she jumped at the chance to participate in order to boost femPAQ’s profile and draw more attention to her company’s mission: normalizing periods.
This won’t be Roy’s first time pitching her company as part of a competition. In August 2019, she pitched for the first time in a competition hosted by Conductor – and won. “I didn’t expect to win because I came up with my pitch in the car heading to the event,” she admits.
Since then, she’s competed in more pitch contests, including the Big Pitch, hosted by Venture Noire, the Venture Center and the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce. The Twitch Pitch will be Roy’s fourth pitch so far.
Roy’s episode will be livestreamed on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. CST.
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