About Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open

Leadership
Co-Chair Dick Franklin, ENVIROBRAND LLC
Co-Chair Stephen Miller, CleanTech2010
Operations Chair Tina Oster
Recruitment Chair Kim DeCoste, DeCoste & Associates, LLC
Fundraising Chair John Buckingham, Wedbush Morgan Securities
Mentor Chair Jerry Healey, Alpine Glass
Event Chair Paul DeCoste, NAPA RIDGE WINERY
Judging Chair Graham Russell, CORE-CONNECTED ORGANIZATIONS FOR A RESPONSIBLE ECONOMY
PR Partners Steven Shapiro, COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY GROUP-PR
IT Chair Barrett Blank, BB2E.COM
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How to Enter the Rocky Mountain Competition
The inaugural Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open Competition will be open for entries beginning early spring of 2009. In the meantime, please follow the steps below to get ready to participate as one of the first contestants!

Step 1: Determine if your team meets the eligibility requirements. The key requirements are summarized here:

All entries must meet the competition's clean technology category definition.
All entries must be a team of at least two individuals.
All entries must be a start-up with less than $300,000 from outside funding (some exceptions apply).
All contestants must be United States residents, citizens, or legal aliens (e.g. F1, H1 visas).
All winners must establish their primary place of business in the Rocky Mountain region (defined as Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico)
Step 2: Recruit Team Members
Recruit your team members. You will need at least two members per team to compete.
Step 3: Begin to Write Your Executive Summary
Write a three page executive summary. Format your executive summary according to the Executive Summary Guidelines. These guidelines will be posted soon.
For more information, contact rm_contestants [at] cleantechopen.com.

How to Get Involved
Do you want to meet and work with others to help clean technology entrepreneurs succeed? Check out current programs and volunteer needs. To get involved, whether you see a specific role here or not, or to find out more ways to volunteer, send an email to rm_volunteers [at] cleantechopen.com.

Volunteer Coordination
Volunteers help out in all areas of the organization. The coordinator will be responsible for working with all these volunteers and engaging them in appropriate programs. Volunteers are needed for:

Volunteer Coordinator
Event volunteers for general prep and day-of support
Team support for all the programs below
Contestant Recruitment
The Contestant Recruitment Team plans and implements the recruitment strategy for bringing in teams for each annual competition. Outreach includes universities, labs, personal networks, grass roots publicity, existing business plan competitions, green events and conventions and Alumni support. Volunteers are currently needed for:

Contestant Recruitment Chair
Reaching out to specific targets
Events
The RMCTO will host several events, workshops and an awards ceremony. Volunteers are needed for:

Event Chair
Volunteer support for event prep, event setup, registration and teardown
Finance
The financial structure of the RMCTO supports all sponsorship money, event preparation and a growing organization. Volunteers are currently needed for:

Finance Chair
IT Services
The IT team is responsible for working with the Clean Tech Open organization’s IT team, writing and updating website content, and maintaining the system during contestant entry periods and document uploads, like Executive Summary and Business Plan submission. Volunteers are currently needed for:

IT Chair
Judging
The judging team is in charge of managing the selection process of finalists and winners. This team recruits judges, designs the process and the evaluation criteria, and runs the logistics of the judging sessions for both rounds.

Judging Chair
Legal
The RMCTO is an entity under the administration of a dedicated group of local individuals and the national Clean Tech Open. The legal team works to ensure that all legal proceedings with sponsors and Finalist teams are in accordance with the founding principles. Volunteers are needed for:

Legal Chair
Marketing
The marketing program provides guidance and support to staff and volunteers, so that they can consistently share Clean Tech Open's vision and successes and inspire people to get involved. These marketing volunteers help by clarifying messaging and adding punch to marketing materials. Volunteers are currently needed for:

Marketing Chair
Summer Workshops and Mentor Program
The Summer Workshop Series includes an Executive Summary Workshop before the contestant deadline and five workshops after Finalists are chosen. The events offer educational guidance and direction on key aspects of building a viable, sustainable business. In conjunction with the education, Finalists are assigned to Mentors, who help all teams maximize their chances both as competitors and as sustainable businesses. Volunteers are currently needed for:

Summer Workshops and Mentor Program Chair
Summer Workshops contributors in various areas of expertise
Mentors to guide and help entrepreneurs
Sponsorship
The Sponsorship team recruits and engages local and national businesses to financially support the organization and offer services to the Finalists and Winners. Volunteers are currently needed for:

Sponsorship Chair
How to Become a Sponsor
The RMCTO is grateful for the generous support of our sponsors and partners who have made the competition possible. We encourage companies, institutions and individuals to reap the benefits of sponsorship while giving innovative clean technology businesses the opportunity to succeed in the marketplace. As a sponsor, you will receive:

Promotion of the sponsorship in our marketing and public relations campaigns
Direct association with the competition in RMCTO promotional materials
Development of industry contacts and networks
Access to information about markets, companies and technologies, as well as potential new funding sources
Interaction with clean tech startups as these companies and technologies expand
Association with a national, growing organization dedicated to clean technology entrepreneurs