MSU Vicksburg center to host entrepreneur pitch competition, award $20K in prizes next week
Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.—An exciting chance for entrepreneurs to win $20,000 in total prizes to advance their businesses is set for next Thursday [June 26] at Vicksburg’s Mississippi State University @ MCITy. The public is invited to the venture-idea competition and the Connect Networking event, co-hosted by Innovate Mississippi.
“DAWG Tank is back with more than 30 teams, big ideas and thousands of dollars in prizes. Now that we have a great roster of teams competing, we’d love to pack the house,” said Tasha Bibb, senior program manager for MSU’s Office of Technology Management.
The event starts at noon with business ideas pitched in two categories—Main Street and Innovation Startups. Award money will be divided with $10,000 awarded in each category. For the third consecutive year, DAWG Tank is a qualifying event for the Innovate Mississippi statewide accelerator program CoBuilders, which includes expanded mentorship, funding and investment opportunities for innovation-based businesses.
Participating teams will pitch their ideas for up to eight minutes, with three minutes then allotted for judges’ questions.
“Come cheer on local entrepreneurs, hear bold ideas and see who rises to the top. Don’t miss this celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship and community,” said Bibb, adding that the casual networking event at 5 p.m. will feature MCITy tours, local food and craft beer from Key City Brewery and Eatery, and the announcement of this year’s DAWG Tank winners. Admission is free but attendees are encouraged to RSVP at https://forms.office.com/r/AqEYSuGjai.
Located at 1622 Washington St., Suite 250, in Vicksburg, the expanded MSU presence was developed in 2022 at the Sen. Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Information and Technology, commonly known as MCITy, to accelerate support for business development and growth. The university’s Office of Technology Management and Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach both have full-time staff in the second-floor MCITy office to help grow the state’s technology and start-up sector.
The university has had long-standing partnerships with the region, including its substantial collaboration with the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center. MSU’s local presence in Vicksburg includes the Institute for Systems Engineering Research, which was created by ERDC and MSU a decade ago.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.