Prizes and Recognition

Tracks

Consumer Goods and Services, Business Goods and Services, Social Innovation, and Health & Life Sciences Track

First place winners selected from these tracks will each win $10,000
2nd place cash prize $7,500/track
3rd place cash prize $5,000/track
Companies have one year to register as an LLC to claim the money

Explorer Track

Winner will win $1,500
2nd place cash prize $1,000
3rd place cash prize $500

Take Home a Specialty Prize

Specialty prizes will reflect the skills and values of the NVC program.
Each of the specialty prizes ranges from $5,000-$10,000
Winners will be chosen by OIE staff and Round 3 judges.

Blank Rome, LLP

Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 650 attorneys and principals who provide a full range of legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Their professionals are widely recognized for their leading knowledge and experience across a broad spectrum of industries, as well as their dedication to diversity and inclusion initiatives and pro bono work.

Prize: $10,000 in counsel related to intellectual property, distributed among teams by OIE according to need.

Learn more about Blank Rome LLP

Martin A. Schultz & Associates

Martin A. Schultz & Associates is a specialized commercial transactions practice that provides general and transaction counsel to clients who have included a family office, middle and lower market closely held and family-owned businesses, national and regional financial institutions, c-suite executives, and entrepreneurs. Mr. Schultz works closely with stakeholders, boards of directors, and executives on today-to-day matters such as corporate governance, fiduciary duties, executive engagement, creditor rights, and dispute resolution, as well as involvement in vetting opportunities, planning ventures, structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing deals large and small, complex and routine.

Prize: 30 hours of pro bono legal service (awarded to three teams)

Learn more about Martin A. Schultz & Associates

Union Kitchen

Union Kitchen is a Food Business Accelerator. We build successful food businesses by empowering founders with our Roadmap, Ecosystem, and Industry Expertise from launch to scale.

Prize: 2 months of full-time membership plus two storage shelves at our shared commercial kitchen (the first in DC!) as well as pitch feedback from our CEO and Founder, Cullen Gilchrist (awarded to two teams)

Learn more about Union Kitchen

Anact

Anact makes sustainable towels out of hemp and organic cotton that are better for ALL people and the planet. Anact is short for “an act” - i.e., the simple act of taking action and creating a positive impact. The founder, Brianna Kilcullen (GW BBA ‘11) is also a sustainability consultant and self-proclaimed “hemp hustler.”

Prize: $50 Anact gift card + an one-hour session of pro bono consulting with founder Brianna Kilcullen to answer the problems that you're facing at the moment so you can execute and move towards your vision (awarded to two teams)

Learn more about Anact

GW Office of Integrative Medicine & Health

The Office of Integrative Medicine and Health (OIMH) at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) is a global leader in Integrative Medicine, focusing on professional development, education, scholarly activities, and community.

Prize: 4 ads on the GW Integrative Medicine Podcast (awarded to 1 team)

Learn more about GW Office of Integrative Medicine & Health

SEED SPOT

SEED SPOT is on a mission to educate, accelerate, and invest in diverse, impact-driven ventures.

Prize: A full scholarship to SEED SPOT’s virtual 2-Day Launch Camp program, an interactive workshop with other social impact entrepreneurs all starting a new business to improve the world. Hands-on programming will provide you with opportunities to learn from experts and receive feedback from like-minded entrepreneurs as you dive into training, tools, and strategies for new venture success. (awarded to 3 teams)

Learn more about SEED SPOT

Draper University

Draper University is a Silicon Valley-based pre-accelerator offering a combination of on-site and virtual programs designed to build understandings and foundations for the next generation of startup founders and entrepreneurs. With the aim to connect international startup ecosystems, Draper University has always worked towards building bridges between these ecosystems and Silicon Valley.

Prize: 3 full tuition sponsorships for the Hero Training program. Sponsorship includes: accommodation for the program (5 weeks), events and activities of Hero Training, and some meals (10-15). Winners are responsible for travel costs and some meals. Winners can choose the summer session (May/June 2023) or fall session (Oct/Nov 2023). More info here. (Note: GW OIE may award these 3 spots to members of the same team or divide the spots among multiple teams depending on demand.)

Learn more about Draper University

ThinkNimble

ThinkNimble is a design and software development agency that turns clients into confident tech leaders who understand their customers and build better solutions.

Prize: A one-on-one Product Vision Workshop. Most software development products fail because of a lack of shared vision and the inability to break that vision down into actionable progress forward. Our Product Vision Workshop aligns stakeholders on your product's north star while creating a general roadmap of priorities for you to begin making progress towards that north star. (awarded to two teams)

Learn more about ThinkNimble

Design in DC

Design in DC is a full service digital marketing agency based in Washington DC. We specialize in web design, app development, videography and animation.

Prize: 3-months of digital marketing support Topics include: SEO support, animation video, web site creation, content curation, etc.

Learn more about Design in DC

Klo Marketing

Klo Marketing is a social media agency that elevates brands' social media presence through impactful strategies, quality content and consistency. Katie Lopus is an an award-winning social media professional with experience leading social media for global hospitality brands, eCommerce, and lifestyle companies. She has brought to life the world’s most recognizable brands through social media like Marriott Hotels, Michaels Crafts and Party City. With more than 10+ years of experience as a seasoned social media marketer, Katie is a trusted partner, educator, and adviser to her clients.

Prize: 5 hours of 1:1 Coaching and Social Media Strategy Calls (awarded to one team). Topics may include: Auditing your current accounts, content capture and editing best practices, implementing Key Performance Indicators and how to keep track of success metrics, building and scaling a business, building your brand, selling yourself and your business on social media.

Learn more about Klo Marketing

Laurel Nock Marketing Consulting

Marketing consulting for entrepreneurial professionals who want to develop and implement marketing plans that matter – for their bottom line, and for the world at large.

Prize: 10-12 hours of marketing consulting in one or more of the following areas: strategy development, brand messaging, content marketing, SEO, market analysis (awarded to one team).

Learn more about Laurel Nock Marketing Consulting

Story + Strategy

We are boutique brand and storytelling consultancy focused on providing strategic guidance, marketing expertise and story-driven innovation to today's forward-thinking brands. With decades of creative and marketing leadership experience from several of the largest Fortune 500 portfolio companies in the world, we will serve as your partners in brand strategy and storytelling. Our process starts by immersing ourselves in your brand, company or idea to ensure you have a clear and purposeful foundation upon which to build your idea, brand or company's future actions and approach. From there, we'll help you think through a short and/or long-term go-to-market plan, identifying the most compelling and effective way to tell your story and endear your target audience to your offering.

Prize: 10 hours of marketing or brand consulting (awarded to one team) Topics may include: brand positioning, creative storytelling, or go-to-market development

Learn more about Story + Strategy

NEXT Powered by Shulman Rogers

NEXT is an award-winning, innovative platform for the delivery of legal services to startups and emerging growth companies. NEXT clients receive legal guidance and services through a high-touch, hands-on legal services team approach. We recognize the importance of regular access to seasoned attorneys with the experience to guide clients from both legal and strategic perspectives. As a result, each project is led by a Senior attorney and may include an associate and paralegal. Each client also receives a legal customer relationship manager, who is a member of the NEXT team and helps to coordinate legal needs. In addition, as a client of NEXT, you will always have regular access to one of the Chairs of the NEXT practice group.

Company Formation Package (awarded to three teams) This package will provide an overview of different corporate structure options and benefits. This package will also help you prepare your certificate of organization, operating agreement, EIN, and foreign qualification.

Learn more about NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers

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Consumer Goods and Services, Business Goods and Services, Social Innovation, and Health & Life Sciences Track

Explorer Track

Specialty Category Prizes