Aug. 1, 4—RUTLAND—The MINT – Rutland’s Makerspace will host this year’s Road Pitch competition during the Rutland stop of the multi-town event. The pitch competition is scheduled on Aug. 1 at 9:30 a.m. at The MINT’s location at 112 Quality Lane in Rutland.
For the fourth year in a row, Rutland has been chosen as a stop on a weeklong motorcycle tour that brings riders with investing, entrepreneurial, business, and business advisory experience to towns across Vermont to hear business ideas from local entrepreneurs. The event is organized by FreshTracks Capital, a seed and early stage venture capital firm focused on financing businesses in Vermont.
Last year’s Rutland Road Pitch, hosted by the Rutland Economic Development Corporation, featured local entrepreneurs who used the shared equipment at The MINT to prototype product designs. For this year’s event, organizers at The MINT felt it made sense to host the competition in their space.
“We encounter so many incredible, talented people with innovative ideas who are working within the makerspace,” said Karen McCalla, volunteer at The MINT and lead organizer of this year’s Rutland Road Pitch. “We have such a strong entrepreneurial community here and we wanted to show that off by hosting this event.”
Businesses pitching this year included a website design company focused on empowering micro-businesses, a business that uses music to build teams and create enriching interactive social experiences, a photo tour business that connects travelers to experiences curated by local photographers, a platform designed to change the way higher education is accessed, and an online music education interface that centers around a community of established and aspiring musicians.
In addition to the Road Pitch, organizers are planning the one-year anniversary of their grand opening. The celebration – called The MINTacular! – is an afternoon of free tours, demonstrations, and hands-on making using the tools and equipment available in the space. The event is being held on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2-5 p.m.
“We’ve accomplished so much in our first year, but we’re really just getting started,” McCalla said.
