South Side Pitch is a shark-tank style pitch competition that showcases incredible South Side’s businesses. In prior years, we focused on early-stage companies and business ideas. This year, we are switching it up and focusing on established businesses. We want to highlight how important South Side businesses are and the incredible companies that exist south of the skyline.

This year, on November 5th, our virtual pitch event will celebrate the South Side businesses that have contributed positively to the lives of their customers, employees, community members, or individual business owners. South Side Pitch will offer small business owners an opportunity to pitch in front of a virtual, city-wide audience and a panel of judges to share their success story and for the chance to win cash prizes. The winner(s) will be determined based on the judge evaluations and the audience votes.

We are also excited to announce that this year we will open up online polls so the public will get to pick their favorite businesses in the semi-final and final rounds. The winners of both rounds will be rewarded and given the “Community Favorite” award, which will come with a prize.

If you are a South Side small business owner, we would love to have you participate in the pitch. If you have a favorite South Side business, please let them know about the event. And, if you’re a Chicagoan, even if you’re not participating, we hope you tune in and listen to the stories of these incredible entrepreneurs.

South Side Pitch is hosted by the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement.