UK Happenings

UK Students Invited to Compete for $30,000 in Wildcat Pitch Competition

Wildcat Pitch Competition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 6, 2020)University of Kentucky students and local business leaders are encouraged to register by Friday, March 13, for the Business Innovation Summit.

Hosted by the Gatton College of Business and Economics, the two-day event provides students with the opportunity to learn and connect with industry leaders, as well as compete to win seed funding for their innovative business plan.

On Friday, April 24, a half-day conference will shed light on the impactful lessons learned in business innovation and development. The keynote will be presented by Nathaniel R. Morris, founder, chairman and CEO of Rubicon Global — a technology company born in the waste and recycling industry. As a Gatton College entrepreneur-in-residence, Morris is passionate about mentoring students who are developing business plans.

The conference will also include sessions presented by industry leaders:

  • Sarah Sanders — Co-founder of NATIVE, an AgTech startup empowering local farmers to meet the rising demand for local, traceable food. Sanders is also Gatton College’s first recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumni Award.
  • Rodney Williams — As co-founder of LISNR, he is responsible for leading all of the company’s commercial activities and strategy execution.

UK students will also put their pitching skills to the test on the final day during Wildcat Pitch. Held on Saturday, April 25, the full-day competition will allow student teams in their division, undergraduate or graduate, to compete for a chance to win $30,000 in seed money.

Wildcat Pitch offers students the chance to showcase their business ideas for ground-breaking products and services to a panel of judges — including UK alumni — who work primarily in the business sector. The competition offers an invaluable experience to bourgeoning entrepreneurs.

All current UK students are encouraged to submit their intent to compete by the March 13 deadline. For more information and to register, visit the Gatton website.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.