Elevator pitch competition

Learn how to tell a prospective employer about yourself, your education, skills, and career goals in the length of an elevator ride and possibly win a share of $1,750 in scholarship money by participating in the Ilitch School elevator pitch competition.

An elevator pitch is a 30- to 90-second personal statement that summarizes who you are, what you know and what you want to do leaving the person you are speaking with impressed and wanting to learn more about you. It is a useful tool in any number of situations from chance meetings to career fairs and job interviews.

Helpful links

• How to Craft the Perfect Elevator Speech in 2024 (with Examples), The Speaker Lab
• How to Give an Elevator Pitch (with Examples), Indeed.com
• The Art of the Quick Pitch Making Every Second Count, Forbes
• A Quick Guide to Creating an Impactful Elevator Pitch! Bianca Miller-Cole

Questions?

Please email ilitchbusiness@wayne.edu with any questions about the competition.

Competition details

• The contest is open to all undergraduate students currently enrolled in the Mike Ilitch School of Business.
• Participants must attend a mandatory workshop and pass through a preliminary round of judging to be eligible to compete in the finals.
• The final competition will take place with Detroit-area executives at the Renaissance Center. Fall 2024 date TBD.
• First Prize: $1,000 | Second Prize: $500 | Third Prize: $250

This is a great opportunity to enhance your skills and present your personal elevator speech to local executives from Ally, the Detroit Pistons, Eli Lilly, Enterprise, GM, Google, Ilitch Holdings, Lear, Plante Moran, Rocket Companies and UBS Financial.

Stage 1: Attend a mandatory workshop.

To compete in the fall 2024 Elevator Pitch Competition, you will first sign up for and attend a mandatory workshop. The workshops will be held in person at the Ilitch School, except for one session offered virtually via Zoom and Canvas. Students should check back here to register for a workshop with their WSU AccessID email and password via Handshake at a date TBD.

Stage 2: Attend and compete in the semifinals

Semifinals will be held in Ilitch School Skywall rooms 139/145. Students will pitch to Detroit executives, and judges will determine which 25 students will make it to the final round.

Stage 3: Vie for scholarships!

If you are chosen as a finalist, you'll be invited to compete for scholarships of $1,000, $500 or $250 at the Renaissance Center.

Gold Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor: 

Prize Sponsor: