🏆Philly Founder Pitch Competition🏆

🏆 Come Watch Or Present Your Big Idea at the Code & Coffee Pitch Competition! 🏆

• Join us for an exciting afternoon of innovation as early-stage founders pitch their ventures to a live panel of experienced investors and entrepreneurs.
• This event offers a platform for founders to get direct, valuable feedback and a fantastic, low-risk educational experience for audience members interested in entrepreneurship. Whether you're pitching or just watching, it will be a fantastic learning opportunity.
• When: Friday, January 16, 2026 Time: 3:00 PM EST Where: The Pennovation Center Lobby (Stadium Seating Area)
• Thank you to our Sponsors: Google, Ionos, Technical.ly, Benjamin Franklin Partners, and Pennovation

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### 🤔 Who is This For?

• Aspirational & Early-Stage Founders: This is your platform to pitch your idea, get expert feedback, and make critical connections. (Pitch Sign ups are currently full)
• Community Members & Students: Come for an educational experience, network, and see what the Code & Coffee community is building.
• Investors & Entrepreneurs: Discover promising new ventures and share your expertise with the next generation of founders.

### 🎤 Why Attend as an Audience Member?

• Learn from the Experts: Watch founders receive direct feedback on their business models, market analysis, and presentation skills from real investors.
• Network: Connect with founders, investors, and other community members.
• Have Your Say: You get to help pick the winner! In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided by an audience vote.

### 💡 Interested in Pitching?

We will select ~10 presenters to participate. Each presenter will have 3 minutes for their pitch, followed by a 3-5 minute Q&A with the judging panel.

Pitch sign ups are currently full. Thank you to everyone that signed up!

What to Pitch: Your 3-minute pitch should cover the problem, your solution/value proposition, the market, your business model, any traction you have, and your team.

• The "Ask": Your pitch must end with a clear "ask". This can be for funding, introductions, strategic partnerships, or expert feedback.
• Slide Deck: Decks should have 1 title slide and 5-10 content slides. Slides should be simple, visual, and support your narrative.
• No Notes: Notes will not be permitted during the presentation.

### ⚖️ Meet the Judging Panel

Pitches will be evaluated by a panel of ~4 experienced investors and entrepreneurs. The panel includes:

• Jack Weiss: Retired Chairman/CEO of WAM Systems and Wharton MBA Lecturer.
• Grace Francisco: Seasoned tech exec (Microsoft, Roblox, MongoDB), co-founder, and strategic angel investor.
• Jonathon Beschen: Managing Director of Investments at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
• Rocco Christino: Managing Director at LBC Small Cap, specializing in small business investing and strategy.

### 🎁 Prizes & Recognition

• Exposure through announcements on Code & Coffee's website, social media, and newsletters.
• Valuable feedback from experts and learning opportunities.
• We are actively exploring partnerships and prize opportunities for the event.

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