Pitches and Pints: Startup Grind Happy Hour Showcase - May

Remember when pitching was fun? No battles or competitions, no celebrity VCs, no make-or-break stress.

We're bringing back low-pressure pitch events for early-stage startups that just need to get their ideas out into the world and hear constructive feedback from fellow founders in the trenches. So join us for an afternoon of innovation, networking, and camaraderie with Pitches and Pints. 🍻

Hosted in collaboration with The Yard coworking community, this event offers a platform for startups to share ideas, gather feedback, and connect with fellow founders.

📅 Date: Thursday, May 16
🕓 Time: 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM
📍 Venue: The Yard: Herald Square

Begin with happy hour drinks while mingling with fellow founders and members of The Yard. The spotlight soon shifts to five emerging startups who will take the stage to pitch their visions.

This is not a competition -- it's an opportunity for founders to showcase their projects, exchange insights, and receive constructive feedback from founder peers.

Whether you're a startup enthusiast, an industry professional, or a curious mind, Pitches and Pints will be an engaging and inspiring afternoon to celebrate entrepreneurship, foster connections, and toast the spirit of innovation.

PITCH FORMAT

• Pitch - 5 minutes
• Audience Q&A - 5 minutes
• Pitch deck is required

Our longtime friend Mike Wilner, previously from the Startup Team at AWS, shares advice below on the art of pitching and the deck:

• Keep your narrative crisp
• Be opinionated and non-obvious
• Make sure there's an "oh shit" moment, and convey that it will be a venture-scale business
• Frame progress in terms of what you've actually figured out -- don't jump to arbitrary KPIs

Additionally, he advises that your fundraising narrative should be a concise, memorable explanation of what you're building, why you're fundraising, and why someone should invest. It should answer 5 questions:

1. What are you building?
2. Why will you win?
3. How have you de-risked your business so far?
4. How will you de-risk your business in the near future?
5. What will the future look like if you're successful?

AGENDA

• 4:00 PM: Happy Hour w/ The Yard
• 5:00 PM: Startup Pitches and Audience Q&A
• 6:30 PM: Closing Time

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Complete your RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-new-york-city-presents-pitches-and-pints-startup-grind-happy-hour-showcase-may/