Registration opens for 12th Annual SBCC Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge
Registration opens for 12th Annual SBCC Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (March 17, 2022) — The Santa Barbara City College Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has announced its call for entries for the 12th Annual Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge
(NVC) business plan and pitch competition. The event is open to SBCC students and
all college and high school students in Santa Barbara County.
“This is the Scheinfeld Center’s 12th year hosting the competition to promote student
entrepreneurship and career development and we’re thrilled to provide students the
ongoing opportunity to interact, network, and further sharpen their entrepreneurial
skills through business plan writing and pitching,” states Julie Samson, Director
of the Scheinfeld Center.
The Scheinfeld NVC is divided into two tiers: Tier One for high school students and
Tier Two for college students. Independent judges will select 10 finalists from each
tier based on their business plan submissions, and the finalists will then pitch their
concept at the virtual Scheinfeld NVC pitch competition. Local business executives,
bankers, investors, and entrepreneurs will judge the pitch competition and select
the top three winners in each tier. The winning students will receive start-up cash
and in-kind startup support totaling over $15,000.
The Scheinfeld NVC will be held virtually and live-streamed on YouTube, enabling the
entire regional community to engage with the aspiring student entrepreneurs and show
their support. “Year after year, the student entrepreneurs state that community support
is what they desire most as they advance their ventures,” said Samson. This reality
is confirmed by the 2021 collegiate first-place winner and founder of Texas Tacos,
Elvis Idunate, who states, “The Scheinfeld NVC was a great experience for me, and
hearing the support from each judge, fellow classmates, family and the community provides
the true motivation to execute my business plan.”
Many Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge finalists and winners go on to launch their
ventures with further support from the Scheinfeld Center in a wide range of industries
such as apparel, specialty foods, communication technologies and more. Sylvia Franco
Comer was a 2017 Scheinfeld NVC winner with her launch of Casa De Comer Foods' flagship
product Smokin’ Good Salsa, and she then went on to complete the 2019 Scheinfeld Get
Real Accelerator. Their salsa is carried by all 27 Gelson’s stores, as well as several
other regional grocers, and they recently expanded their product line with three new
salsas, increasing their in-store refrigerated shelf space.“The Scheinfeld New Venture
Challenge and programs have provided much-needed support to help us achieve important
milestones,” states Sylvia. Other past winners include FuelBox, Oil Slick Beach Tar
Remover, and [IN]Larkin.
The deadline for entries is midnight on April 21, 2022, and official rules and instructions
are available on the Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge website. Finalists from each tier will be announced on April 25 and the Scheinfeld NVC pitch
competition will be held on April 29. Direct questions about the competition to the
competition email at scheinfeldnvc@gmail.com.
About the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
The Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Santa Barbara City College
is a hub for entrepreneur development in Santa Barbara County, and it serves as a
model program for other California community college districts. As part of the Jack
& Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship, the Scheinfeld Center trains
globally competent entrepreneurs using a comprehensive approach that includes academics,
hands-on learning, and business support. Participants can build their business in
the classroom and shore up gaps in their entrepreneurial skill set through the Scheinfeld
Center’s distinctive combination of coursework, business plan and pitch competitions,
internships, no-cost business consulting, mentoring, networking, and post-startup
support. To learn more, visit www.scheinfeld.sbcc.edu.