Final Presentations & Live Winner Announcement

April 25, 2024 | 4 - 6 p.m. | Ifshin Hall Keller Room

Please join us for the final presentations and live winner announcement of the first annual Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup! Hear 3 UVM undergrad teams pitch their unique business ideas for the chance to win $212,500 plus in-kind services to launch their business in Vermont!

Register to Attend In-Person

Can't attend the event in-person?

Watch Live

About the Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup

The Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup is an annual initiative to help fund the businesses of outstanding undergraduate entrepreneurs at The University of Vermont. The goal of this competition is to select, mentor, and finance UVM undergraduate entrepreneurs to create new Vermont-based business ventures, which profitably contribute to the greater economic, social, and environmental fabric of Vermont. The grand prize winner will receive $212,500 in cash plus in-kind services from local organizations including dedicated desk space at a local entrepreneurial co-working space as well as pro bono accounting, legal, and business development services.

Information for UVM Students

Submit Your Idea to the Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup

Request More Information

FAQs

• Who’s eligible to submit ideas? 
  • UVM undergrad students who are graduating in the 23/24 school year
  • Teams including at least one graduating UVM undergrad
  • Not graduating just yet? All UVM undergraduate students are invited to join an eligible team and also participate in the development workshop with business partners on October 18.
• How can you create your best final application?
  • Submit your business idea (or ideas - you can have more than one) at each draft deadline — the more you submit, the more feedback from business partners you’ll receive to further develop and fine-tune your idea for the final application due on January 27, 2024.
  • View full competition schedule below.
• Judging Criteria

1. The Team
   • ​Origin story and passion; quantity and quality of members
2. Problem
   • ​Demonstration of customer need
3. Solution
   • ​Product/service; unique value created
4. Go-to-Market Plan
   • Target customers; industry dynamics and trends; market size and growth; competitive landscape
5. Financial Model
   • ​Unit costs; revenue projections; break-even
6. Operational Model
   • ​Human and non-financial resources; workflows and organizational design
7. Growth, Evolution, and Impact
   • Impact potential beyond initial opportunity; social, environmental, and economic impact for Vermont

• Resources
  • Guy Kawasaki's "The Only 10 Slides You Need in Your Pitch Deck"
  • Harvard Business School - pitch deck example
  • Start Here Podcast: Stories of Vermont entrepreneurs from the Vermont Center of Emerging Technologies (VCET)
  • Mentoring support from Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies. Contact VCET
  • Business planning and startup video lessons from the Kauffman Founders School

Competition Schedule

The competition offers on-going opportunities for eligible entrants to develop mentorship relationships with community partners and improve pitches. Each draft submission is an opportunity to receive feedback from our business partners. Competitors are encouraged to take advantage of all opportunities to engage with the business partners to deliver the best final application and presentation. Business partners will review and send feedback following each round of submissions.

Eligibility, Prizes and Payments

UVM undergrad students who are graduating in the 23/24 school year are eligible to submit business ideas based on the competition schedule above. UVM undergrads who are not yet graduating are able to join a team with at least one gradudating UVM undergraduate. All UVM undergraduate students are invited to join an eligible team and also participate in the development workshop with business partners on October 18. View full eligibility, prizes and payments information.

Corporate Partners

A special thanks to our corporate partners!

	Dinse Dinse, P.C. is a full-service firm representing businesses, institutions, and individuals in a wide range of complex cases and transactions. From the emphasis placed on building trusting, collaborative relationships to a pragmatic approach to developing tailored legal solutions for each unique challenge, Dinse is dedicated to exceeding expectations and achieving positive outcomes for our clients. For more information, please visit our website at www.dinse.com.
	Fresh Tracks Capital Founded in 200, Fresh Tracks Capital is a Vermont-focused investment fund that uses venture capital to create positive economic and community impacts. Across its funds, which total more than $47 million, FreshTracks has invested in more than 30 Vermont-based companies. FreshTracks hosts a number of events for entrepreneurs and investors, including Peak Pitch and Road Pitch. The firm’s General Partners and Managing Directors are Cairn Cross, Lee Bouyea and T.J. Whalen. FreshTracks is actively investing out of its most recent fund, FreshTracks Capital IV.
	Fuse Fuse is an award-winning marketing agency that help world class brands connect with teens and young adults.  The agency offers strategy, experiential, social media, public relations, and creative services.   Fuse has been named one of the best places to work in Vermont by Vermont Business Magazine and one of the top 25 places to work in the country by Outside Magazine.
	Gallagher, Flynn & Company Gallagher, Flynn & Company's services have been performance based and relationship driven for over 60 years. Its CPA services are the foundation of our firm, and set the benchmark for technical expertise and integrity in our suite of professional services. The firm is large enough to provide clients with a diverse portfolio of services while remaining as highly responsive and client-focused as always. GFC delivers accounting, tax, and consulting expertise in key business areas, including tax consulting & compliance, accounting & assurance, mergers, acquisitions & transaction, private equity support, business consulting, business valuation & litigation support, finance & accounting outsourcing, and HR consulting services.
	Hula Lakeside Hula Lakeside is a lakefront coworking campus, business incubator and venture fund in Burlington’s South End, focused on elevating Vermont-based companies. It offers the most idyllic setting to recruit the top talent, maximize productivity, access necessary growth capital, and foster a healthy and active company culture.
	Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies The Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) serves entrepreneurs, innovation leaders, and startup businesses from start to scale through business consulting, mentorship, coworking, and seed investment. Since 2005, the VCET team has worked with entrepreneurs helping to crystallize concepts, assemble teams, craft business models, secure resources and locate early customers. VCET’s programs and capital funds offer select early stage firms substantive business mentoring along with traditional business incubator services and infrastructure.

Event History

Joy and Jerry Meyers met as undergraduate students at the University of Vermont. Their children grew up skiing in Stowe, including Chip Meyers, who along with his wife Louise Meyers, made this generous donation to UVM representing the Meyers Family Trust in honor of his parents. The donor’s goal is to showcase the University of Vermont’s student entrepreneurs, with the top prize launching the winner from concept to reality, and also to create Vermont-based organizations that will benefit the University and the State of Vermont. Initial funding for this event is guaranteed through 2033.