Moonshot: GCR and Cooperative Extension support participants in rural pitch competition

GCR's Jane Hays and Sara Fleury served as mentors in the Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition, a program that helps rural Arizona entrepreneurs bring their business vision to life.

Moonshot is a Flagstaff-based nonprofit that is founded on the belief that regardless of location, business founders should have access to the same entrepreneurial resources as those who live in major cities. Entrepreneurs who participate in Moonshot's rural competition present their business concepts in a daylong environment modeled after the popular television show "Shark Tank." The key difference is that rather than the high-stress experience of "Shark Tank," pitch competition participants are mentored by professionals and sponsors on how to refine their pitches by suggesting ways they can better tell their entrepreneurial stories. Winners receive cash prizes and move onto a statewide competition, but all participants benefit from the contacts, network and entrepreneurial guidance.

Jane was a mentor at the Verde Valley competition (where the third-place competitor benefited from expertise from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension), and Sara participated at the event held in St. Johns. Program participants were provided with U of A resources to help take their ideas to the next level.