pitching bootcamp
The Pitching bootcamp was hosted by PIN Polo Universitario Citta di Prato in September 2022, and included eight project groups of students from each partner institution.
The SEVERE Pitching Bootcamp was an opportunity to perfect the eight social innovation projects from the Winter School, and to prepare a presentation to be made in front of an audience of investors at the final evening. During the three days of the bootcamp, students worked on the various aspects that make up a presentation, from the way in which to speak in public, to the preparation of the slides, from the incipit of the pitch, to the selection of the information to be shared. Furthermore, the groups had the opportunity to talk with mentors in order to receive valuable advice and feedback and get as prepared and ready as possible for the Pitching Night!
Over the course of three days participants worked in groups on their social innovation ideas and practiced for their pitch.
monday 5
welcome and mentoring sessions
09:30 – 10:00
welcome and warm-up
10:00 – 11:00
check-in and first assessment
11:00 – 12:30
speed mentoring with specialists:
Rose Cawood-Campell: problem identification
Peter Robinson: proposal making
Ana Alfonso: design concept
Teresa Franquiera: financials
Silvia Sordi: social impact
Natalia Popielska: operations
Samuel Nyarko: route to market
Mark Anderson: pitching
12:00 – 13:00
definition of 24-hour strategy
13:00 – 14:00
lunch
14:00 – 15:00
deep dive mentoring session 1
15:00 – 16:00
deep dive mentoring session 2
16:00 – 17:00
check-in and second assessment
17:00 – 19:00
free time/homework
tuesday 6
special clinics
09:30 – 10:00
welcome and warm-up
10:00 – 11:00
special consultation clinics
11:00 – 13:00
special clinic presentations
Introduction
Prompt
Project
Route to Market
Operational Strategy
Financial Projections
Social Impact
Summary
13:00 – 14:00
lunch
14:00 – 16:00
student rehearsal time
16:00 – 17:30
check-in and third assessment
17:30 – 19:00
free time/homework
wednesday 7
pitching night
09:30 – 10:00
welcome and warm-up
10:00 – 12:30
student rehearsal time
12:30 – 13:30
travel to florence
13:30 – 19:00
free time and final preparations
19:00 – 21:00
pitching night
Over the course of three days participants worked in groups on their social innovation ideas and practiced for their pitch.
Various workshops were organized in order to help the students to achieve their goal, including:
- Speed mentoring: each specialist mentor had ten minutes chat with each group
- Deep dive mentoring: each mentor took one team, focusing on a specific area and taking them through towards next stage
- Clinics: students talked to mentors about specific challenges and fears for getting projects presentable
The pitches were structured and judged based on the following:
| Introduction | 5% | |
| Prompt (defining the problem) | 10% | |
| Project (Proposal) | 20% | |
| Route to market | 15% | |
| Operational strategy | 10% | |
| Financial projections (sustainability) | 20% | |
| Social Impact | 15% | |
| Summary | 5% | |
Students have now:
- developed public speaking skills;
- presented their business idea in front of an audience of investors and collected important feedback; and
- developed a more structured business project, which they will be able to test in the following months
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after the bootcamp, it is now up to the students how to move their projects forward. but the mentors will also continue to be available to them, should they need further consultations.
In December 2022, the SEVERE project team will a call for a new batch of trainees for 2023. They will undergo a somewhat similar program, however, will be done fully online. The first workshop will be held on January 24th, 2023.
The former trainees will also have the opportunity to become mentors themselves and share their journeys, and what they’ve learned!
In June 2023, as part of the final event for SEVERE, the best new student groups will have the opportunity to present their projects in Aveiro, Portugal to all the partners, the student mentors and former trainees, and other invited guests.