Sonoma State University

Seawolf Pitch Competition

A team of students answering questions from a competition judge in a previous Seawolf Pitch Competition at Sonoma State


The Seawolf Pitch Competition allows student entrepreneurs to connect with innovators of all backgrounds, receive valuable feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs, and compete for awards and prizes. Open to all SSU students.

This event will start with an initial elevator pitch by each venture team, followed by a venture expo/fair, and will close with a short awards ceremony. The deadline to apply to participate is April 4, 2027. Student teams will be informed of the outcome of their application by April 12. The 2027 Seawolf Pitch Competition will be held on April 20, 2027.

The competition will last from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with activities scheduled as follows: 

  • 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. – Expo Setup: Students set up their team’s table for the expo in Ballroom C.
  • 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. – Judge Networking: Coffee and snacks in Ballroom D. 
  • 1:00 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. – Pitches: Students will pitch their venture to judges in Ballroom D. The pitches will be limited to a maximum of 60 seconds.
  • 2:15 p.m. - 3:15p.m. – Student Venture Expo Fair: Students will interact with judges in Ballroom C seeking to obtain the most votes from Judges. Judges will be given a total of 5 ballots to vote for their favorite venture in each track. 
  • 3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Judges Vote: Judges cast their votes. 
  • 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Vote Count: The IEC directors will count all ballots and sum the number of votes for each venture in each award category. 
  • 4:00 p.m. – Announcement of Winners: Winning teams are announced. 

Awards will be granted to student entrepreneurs in the following manner: 

Student teams in each of the three tracks receive the following awards:

  • First place award: $2,000
  • Second place award: $1,500 
  • Third place award: $1,000
  • Most innovative business model award: $500
  • Best elevator pitch award: $500
  • Best prototype award: $500

The form to apply for the 2027 Seawolf Pitch Competition will be available here at the start of the 2027 Spring semester.