Ideas Competition Rules and Application Fall 2023

BLACKSTONE LAUNCHPAD IDEAS COMPETITION FALL 2023

The Blackstone LaunchPad Ideas Competition gives students with merely an idea the chance to win up to $10,000 to start the next big thing.

The concept of the competition is that you present a business idea and explain why you think it may be successful. It is a very short and simple presentation.

If you are interested, please contact Luc Marest at luc.marest@qc.cuny.edu or at Powdermaker 306H.

First, you must compete at the campus level (Queens College)

Come up with an idea for a business and choose one of the 4 tracks:

  • Social & Climate Impact
  • Health & Life Sciences
  • Consumer Products & Services
  • General

You can compete individually, or you can create a team of 2 students, not more.

You will compete against other teams from Queens College in your track.

You will have to submit your application by October 1.

The winners from each track will win $1,000.

Contact Luc Marest at luc.marest@qc.cuny.edu or at Powdermaker 306H if you want some assistance and talk about your project.

Applicant Eligibility:

  • Applicants must be a current student (undergraduate or graduate-level) in the earliest stage of their entrepreneurial journey (anywhere from an idea on paper to a product prototype / service pilot). Applicants must be the founder or co-founder (i.e., the person with the original idea), and may apply individually or in teams of 2.

Campus Round Application:

Make sure that:

1/ sign up to Startup Tree there: Feed | CUNY Queens College (startuptree.co) 

2/ fill up the application for the Ideas Competition there: 2023 Blackstone LaunchPad by StartupTree Ideas Competition | CUNY Queens College before Wednesday October 11. 

It is where you will answer questions about your business:

All responses have a 1750-character limit. 

  1. What is your idea? Be specific on what exactly your venture/organization is going to make or do. 
  2. How did you come up with the idea and what problem is it solving? Why are you uniquely passionate or qualified to take this solution forward? 
  3. Who are your potential customers and how do you plan to sell to them

 

Please, contact Luc Marest if you are interested and talk about it at luc.marest@qc.cuny.edu or at Powdermaker 306H.

Then, winners from each track will go on to compete in the National Round competition

The Blackstone Charitable Foundation will select and award $10,000 to the grand prize winner in each track. Students will participate in the National Round by submitting a 6-slide deck to Blackstone LaunchPad.

If you are a winner from your campus, then you will have to submit your deck by October 27.

Rules:

In addition, the winner of the first round with the most points will have the opportunity to compete in the CUNY Blackstone Pitch Competition (with the same idea this student competed with).

  • During the 4th week of October, each team that won the track in which they competed at Queens College will choose 1 representative to participate in the CUNY-wide Pitch Competition
  • The representative will submit his deck (the one you created for the Ideas Competition) to the campus manager (Luc Marest for Queens College at luc.marest@qc.cuny.edu) by October 27th at the latest.
  • The event will take place in person at 205 East 42nd Street, NY, NY, Room 818/819, on Friday, December 8, 2023 from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
  • Light refreshments will be provided.
  • The prize money will be awarded as follows:
    • 1st Place = $5,000
    • 2nd Place = $3,000
    • 3rd Place = $1,500
  • All contestants may invite up to 2 guests.
  • All attendees must bring a photo ID.