A special thank you to our event sponsors: Draper & Associates, Microsoft, RPM Ventures, Zell Lurie Institute, and the Ross School of Business Austin Alumni Club

EMCEE

We're excited that Ingrid Vandebilt, CEO of Clean Air Conversions will emcee our event.  She hosts the daily business web show “On the Road with iV” and CNBC’s Original Primetime Series, “American Made”.  She also provides consulting to start up companies at Game Change Ventures. 

JUDGES

We are ecstatic to announce the following pitch competition judges:

• Jay Adelson—CEO, SimpleGeo, Inc (and Founder and Chairman, Revision3 Corp., Former CEO, Digg, Inc., Founder, Equinix, Inc.)
• Kevin Koym—Co-Founder and CEO, Tech Ranch Austin
• Marc Weisser—Founder Managing Director, RPM Ventures
• Chris Shonk—Managing Director,  Liahona Ventures
• Jason Bornhorst—VP of Product, Mobiata
• Blair Garrou—Managing Director, DFJ Mercury
• Joel Yarmon —Associate, Draper Associates

PERFOMERS

We have confirmed interactive performances by Spunshine hula duo, Close 2 Tha Edge, Tyson TV, and Jade Love!  Look out for them mingling in the crowd!

Follow us on twitter @RossatSXSWi

Note: RSVP may not guarantee a spot due to space limitations. First come first serve.

A bus packed with some of the best and brightest from the University of Michigan’s graduate programs rolls into Austin with an inaugural business pitch event.  Students from the Business, Design, Engineering, Information, and Natural Resources schools will showcase their creative ideas while bringing the college party to you.  In honor of those beer-soaked college days, join us at our pitch event supported by X PRIZE Foundation where you’ll mingle with our alums, entrepreneurs and VCs from coast-to-coast in an amped-up event with an on-campus vibe.  We’ll bring hoppy beer along with talented judges and you’ll hear some fresh ideas from enterprising young grad students.

Students will formulate their innovative business pitches while crammed together on a 20-hour bus ride from the Big House to SXSW... necessity is the mother of invention.  Emceed by the always fantastic Ingrid Vanderveldt, CEO of Green Girl Energy, Inc, the lightning-round pitch competition covers three themes: Mobile Apps, Sustainability, and Social Media; judging is also based on the creativity of the pitch—so expect something weird!