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Ebony Miller

Fox Rochester talks to Ebony Miller-Wesley, director of the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, about the Shark Tank-style challenge for local business owners.

Fox Rochester speaks to Ebony Miller-Wesley, director of RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, about the contest.

The Rochester Beacon speaks to Ebony Miller-Wesley, director of RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, about workplace equality.

The speedy “elevator pitch” has become an essential component of selling one’s business idea to potential investors. RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship recently gave local entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete—in five minutes or less—for the grand prize in the Pull Up & ROC the Pitch competition.

Local entrepreneur Brad Flower envisions his start-up company as the linchpin of an ecosystem offering musicians the space and time to create, explore, and collaborate. His victory as the winner of RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship ROC the Pitch competition on Aug. 24 moves him one step closer to his goals.

Fox Rochester previews the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship's "ROC the Pitch" competition.

Tickets are available for ROC the Pitch, an annual entrepreneurship competition hosted by RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship. The competition, featuring six local start-ups who will pitch their business plans to guests and a panel of judges, will be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at Hyatt Regency Rochester.

Local entrepreneurs Jnicolle Glover and Charletta Broome are still on cloud nine after walking away as the top prize winners of RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship ROC the Pitch competition.

Fox Rochester talks to Ebony Miller-Wesley, director of RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, about the center's ROC the Pitch business competition.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship is once again hosting its Business Pitch competition, open to all businesses operating within Monroe County. The winner will be awarded $25,000.

Katboocha, owned by Katarina Schwarz; The Groom Room Men’s Spa and Lounge, owned by Monique Chatman-Jackson; Munchie’s Roc City Empanadas, owned by Luis Carasquillo; and Pointii, an online incentive program for educators and students, owned by Lawrence Forte, were the winners of the inaugural CUE Business Pitch competition.

RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship is hosting a Business Pitch competition, open to all businesses operating within one of the four quadrants of the city of Rochester. Judges will examine the businesses’ unique competitive advantage, marketability, industry expertise of the owner/team, financial strength of the business and company growth.