This is the FINAL CALL for entries in the Harvard $25K ELEVATE Pitch Competition – the deadline is TODAY, 11:59pm EDT (8:59pm PDT), Wednesday September 22.

So if you've got an awesome idea -- business, non-profit, or creative arts & entertainment-oriented -- that you want to turn into a reality, submit it now! Early stage companies or spin-offs of existing non-profits are also eligible. For full ELEVATE details and rules, visit http://summit.haaaa.net/pitch

ENTERING is easy and should take less than 30 minutes. The 2-minute max video requirement is now OPTIONAL, but strongly encouraged. You may enter up to 2 ideas. Anyone may enter, as long as your team of 1-5 people includes one Harvard Asian student, alumnus or staff member. There is no entry fee, but finalists must attend the inaugural Harvard Asian American Alumni Summit on campus, Saturday, October 16th, to live-pitch to the judges.
The best ideas exemplifying game-changing creativity, innovation, or potential for social change will win cash and in-kind prizes totaling over $25K, plus invaluable mentorship lunch meetings with notable entrepreneurs, executives and venture capitalists.

Enter Harvard’s ELEVATE Pitch Contest by Wednesday, Sept 22
Got a novel, album, TV pilot, screenplay or other creative works in progress? A submission for the Harvardwood Writers Competition?

Whatever it is, enter it NOW in the ELEVATE Pitch Competition! We’re giving away $25K in cash and prizes to the best, game-changing, creative ideas.
Finalists will pitch LIVE to our distinguished judges, who include:

- Melissa Lee '95, CNBC's Host of "Fast Money" and "Options Action"
- Joe Park, MBA ’04, SVP, HarperCollins Consumer Digital
- David Eun ’89, JD ’93, President, AOL Media and Studios

You also have a chance to win coveted alumni mentorship luncheons with industry executives who will give advice on how to take a creative idea to the next level. Alumni donors include :

- Danny Chun ’02 -head writer and co-executive producer of "The Office”
- Stephen Chao ’77, MBA ’81 - WonderHowTo CEO, Fox reality TV pioneer
- Gilman Louie, AMP ’97 - Alsop Louie Partners, video gaming pioneer
- Darryl D. Chiang, JD ’94 - Google counsel; Asian American Theater Company’s executive director emeritus
- A literary agent or new media executive, based on your winning entry (courtesy of Harvardwood)

HOW TO ENTER:
Simply submit up to 2 ideas – just complete a short online form + a basic 2-minute video "pitch”
Finalists will deliver 8-minute live pitches to WIN (slides are entirely optional)
Eligibility: Open to teams of 1-5 people; One principal team member, must be a Harvard ASIAN student, alumnus, or full-time employee of any of Harvard’s 12 schools
Entry Deadline: Wed September 22, 2010
Live Pitch Finals: Sat October 16, 2010
To enter and to learn more – including, rules, resources and how to find or join a team -- visit the ELEVATE website at http://summit.haaaa.net/pitch

Monica A. Lee '88 and Jeff Yang '89
ELEVATE Pitch Competition Organizers