MaRS

Watch Alexandra Reid give her 60-second pitch

I’m back with my second posting in the K.I.S.S. 60-Second Pitch blog series.

Last month, sixteen representatives from London, Ontario-based companies signed up for TechAlliance’s annual pitch-off, a trio of events that included a workshop, the actual competition and a celebration where the winners were announced. In this three-part blog series, you’ll meet the top finalists of the 60-Second Pitch Contest and read about their tips and suggestions for crafting a perfect pitch (see their pitches here).

Next up is Alexandra Reid from MITACS Inc., who placed in the top three for the 2009 TechAlliance 60-Second Pitch Contest.

Q: MITACS Inc. (read about MITACS here) can be a bit tricky to explain to others. How did you manage to drill down your organization into a 60-second pitch?

A: I wanted to focus on the programs MITACS offers, not the organization itself. I would have gone way over the time limit if I tried to fit in an explanation about what MITACS is! After getting some advice from Carmen [TechAlliance’s VP of Business Services] I decided it was best to focus on the audience the pitch was intended for, and that was someone interested in our Accelerate program.

Q: How did determining your target audience help when developing your pitch?

A: Sticking with the Accelerate program gave my pitch focus and I was able to get my message out clearly and quickly.

Q: What was your most rewarding moment in the competition?

A: Not stumbling through my pitch! And also receiving helpful constructive feedback from the judges. It was a stressful but rewarding and fun experience.

Don’t forget to check in for the final post in the K.I.S.S. 60-Second Pitch series for tips from the competition’s third finalist, Jonathan Kochis from Resolution Interactive Media. In case you missed the first part of this series, click here.