2021 is just around the corner. And one local startup-focused nonprofit, the Rhode Island Business Competition, is moving full steam ahead toward the future.
The Rhode Island Business Competition kicked off its 2021 program on Thursday in partnership with Venture Café and District Hall Providence, which put together a virtual panel discussion with past winners via Zoom. It's the first in a handful of events slated for this fall ahead of the actual "competition" portion of the program.
Rhode Island Business Competition won't open applications for its pitch contest until Jan. 6, and it won't begin judging those applications until March 29, executive director Beth Carter told Rhode Island Inno. Everything leading up to that point is part of the rest of Rhode Island Business Competition's offerings: programming, networking and business development resources for entrepreneurs.
In fact, the nonprofit is in the midst of a bit of rebrand to ensure the 20-year old organization stands out in an increasingly crowded playing field.
"We're trying to make sure the Rhode Island entrepreneurial ecosystem really understands what we are all about," Carter said. "The way we view ourselves is, we provide the business framework to make your idea a reality. We cut across what everyone else is doing... creating the framework through programming, even the pitch contest to some extent and then, of course, the big pitch competition."
Carter, who took up the helm of executive director almost exactly a year ago, is personally invested in that mission. A two-time founder herself, Carter is familiar with how ripples in the economy—like the ones that continue to reverberate from the coronavirus pandemic—can actually be a boon for founders.
Now, she says, is the time for entrepreneurs to take advantage of the growing community in Rhode Island.
"Entrepreneurs need to know that there is support out there for them," Carter said. "They're so busy, I don't think they fully understand what's available to them. I totally revamped our resource tab, so if it's 2 o'clock in the morning and you're like, 'I have this great business idea—where can I get funding?' or 'I need coworking space,' that is all right there. I'm trying to get entrepreneurs to realize they don't have to do it on their own. And they shouldn't, for that matter, if they want to be successful."
