You Can Win $200,000 For Your Great Idea If You Enter Uber's Latest Contest – UPDATE
Uber has embarked on a new trek — and driving isn't exactly involved. Instead, the company took a different turn and partnered with Girlboss to help entrepreneurs with a dream break barriers in the professional scene. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, Uber announced Girlboss x Uber Pitch, which is a contest that'll give dreamers a chance to fund their best business ideas. The winner of the contest will get a whopping $200,000 to fund their pitch, along with entrepreneurial mentorship throughout the journey. Now that's what I call entrepreneur empowerment.
I'm confident that everyone reading this article is full of great business ideas — but making them come to life with substantial finances and professional guidance can be tough. That's where Girlboss x Uber Pitch comes in. According to the partnership's website, the goal of the contest is to "remove barriers and empower startups by giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to enter to win financial support, mentorship, and the resources they need to level up." Not only will this give entrepreneurial individuals opportunities to have their voices heard, but it'll also help them bring their greatest business ideas to life. Both female and male entrepreneurs with a dream can enter.
To explain the contest's goals even further, Uber released a video that'll inspire you to #RethinkTheRatio and submit your business idea. You can check it out below:
If you're convinced that your pitch deserves funding by Uber (which — let's be real — it definitely does), you can submit your idea online. In order to do so, head to the Girlboss x Uber website and scroll down until you see "How You Enter." Once you're there, you'll come across a few simple steps that include filling out an application and creating your business deck. The last step is to submit everything — and you have until Oct. 21, 2018 to do so.
After submissions close, applicants will have to wait until Oct. 30 to find out if they've made it into the next round of the contest. Then, five finalists will be notified and invited to a Girlboss Rally where they will attend an Uber Pitch event. (I'm getting excited just thinking about this.) Finalists who've made it that far will have to start practicing their pitches — because the next step will be the main event in New York City.
On Nov. 17 and 18, finalists will visit The Big Apple and pitch their business ideas to a panel of advisors (you've got this, ladies). Then, the winner of the Girlboss x Uber Pitch contest will finally be announced on the second day of the GirlBoss Rally.
Phew, what a journey. All I can say, is...
Sophia Amoruso, the co-founder & CEO of Girlboss, talked more about the contest's mission — and her insight will get you excited. Amoruso said,
We are honored and proud to work with Uber to support the Girlboss community and beyond, contributing resources and mentorship to truly change the ratio of women-owned businesses. The deep insights we'll be able to provide and build on, married with the opportunities created through this partnership, is just one more step in our mission to advance women both personally and professionally.
Bo Young Lee, Uber Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, shared the ride-sharing company's excitement about the partnership,
At Uber, we are all about opening doors. That's why we are excited to partner with Girlboss and help get more female entrepreneurs on the road to success. With Uber Pitch, we are offering female entrepreneurs the opportunity to submit business pitches for the chance to win $200,000 in funding and more importantly, ongoing mentorship from influential entrepreneurs. This is just a small step in encouraging people to #RethinkTheRatio.
With Girlboss and Uber both passionate about lifting up entrepreneurs with big dreams, I think the winner of this contest is in great hands.
Again, if you have a business idea that you want to submit to the Girlboss x Uber Pitch contest, you have until Oct. 21 to do it. It's time to make your business dream become a reality.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story stated that the contest was only open to females and listed an incorrect prize amount. It has been updated to accurately reflect the contest information.
