Andrew Wimer
Andrew Wimer · September 11, 2024

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CHICAGO—For the 11th year in a row, South Side entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to win money, earn acclaim, and get training to fuel their business dreams through the South Side Pitch. The competition will again be held live and open to the public at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Hyde Park. Through Sunday, September 22, members of the public are invited to help pick one of the finalists by viewing short video pitches on YouTube and liking their favorite.

The full list of 25 semi-finalist video pitches is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohkdkG9lefY&list=PLVL05snDJzHjdptvytqL48pAw9ONb3zVV

“Every year the South Side impresses us with its depth of innovative entrepreneurs,” said Beth Kregor, the director of the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago. “We’re excited to share their visions for the future of the business and to give the public the opportunity to vote for their favorite. We hope their stories can inspire other South Siders to dream big!”

South Side Pitch allows incredible entrepreneurs to share their success stories and the impacts their businesses have in a “Shark Tank” style contest, with the final contestants presenting their pitches during the live event on October 17. Applicants compete to win several great prizes, including over $34,000 in cash prizes; like last year, every finalist is guaranteed a prize.

Last year’s first-place winner was R City Kitchen, a shared-use kitchen on the South Side founded by Rodney Trussell. Rodney also won two additional prizes that brought his winning total to $15,500. He plans to use the money to hire a kitchen manager and expand the number of customers he serves.

South Side Pitch is hosted by the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship. The contest is sponsored by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement, and United Airlines. 

The Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship provides free legal assistance, access to resources, and advocacy for low-income Chicago entrepreneurs. To learn more about the IJ Clinic, visit www.ij.org/clinic.