Orr Fellowship awards $1,000 to budding entrepreneur

Eight early career professionals compete in the program’s annual pitch competition to help kickstart their own businesses

Submitted

On April 14, Orr Fellowship, an early career development program for versatile high-achievers and future-focused businesses in Indiana, held its annual pitch competition with eight young professionals competing for $1,000 to launch their own businesses in Indiana.

Megan Green, a Pendleton native and University of Notre Dame alumna, won the $1,000 prize with her business idea, “Home to Host.” Similar to vacation rentals, the concept would allow customers to rent a space that feels like home for half of a day or a full day, without committing to a full night’s stay or breaking any vacation rental rules.

“I am truly honored to have won and incredibly grateful for the experience,” Green said. “Orr’s Pitch Competition provided a valuable platform to share more about Home to Host and receive genuine feedback on an idea I’m deeply passionate about. I’m thankful to the judges, Orr’s Continued Learning team, my fellow presenters and the Orr Fellows who shared their feedback. Thanks to these individuals, I’m walking away from this experience feeling encouraged, inspired and more energized than ever to bring this dream to life.”

The participating Orr Fellows presented eight different business pitches to an audience of hundreds of Orr Fellows and a judging panel of central Indiana business leaders at The Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave., Indianapolis. Each Fellow delivered a five-minute presentation followed by a Q&A with the judges: Jenn Schimmelpfennig from Pivot Brands; Katy Jenkins, an Orr Fellowship alumna and VP of Product Management, Platform, for Employ; and Jim Jay, an Orr Fellowship Board Member and Managing Partner of Chatham Equity Partners LLC.

Photo provided

“This year’s group of pitch competition participants did a phenomenal job presenting their business ideas, and made it a tough choice for the judges,” Orr Fellowship President Steven Emch said. “I’m proud of these budding entrepreneurs and believe all of their ideas have the potential to blossom into actual businesses.”

Orr Fellowship recruits, assesses and matches university graduates with high-agency roles in growing Indiana businesses. Together, Orr Fellowship and partner companies give graduates the professional development resources and support network they need to accelerate their careers. Leading up to the pitch competition, the participating Orr Fellows completed two workshops led by industry experts to help build their business pitches.

To learn more about Orr Fellowship and the economic impact study, visit orrfellowship.org.