Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR), in partnership with the Cabinet for Economic Development's KY Innovation Office, is hosting the Startup Appalachia Pitch Competition, presented by Community Trust Bancorp., on June 24 in Hazard, KY.

Finalists will take the stage during the SOAR FOCUS Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation for a chance to win:

$10,000 | First place

$3,500 | Second Place

$1,500 | Third Place

By completing this application, you are already a winner. Following your submission, a member of our Business and Innovation team will connect with you to schedule a time to learn more about your idea. 

Special Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for the Startup Appalachia Ppitch Competition, you must:

• Business must be based in one of SOAR's 54 counties and a startup.
  • A Startup is defined as a concept or existing business financed by its founders that is attempting to attract outside investment.
• If you have an existing business, it cannot be more than three years old.
• Your pitch/business must have a product or service that has or has the potential to be sold online and/or exported.

If you have questions concerning your eligibility, please contact Sabrina McWhorter at sabrina@soar-ky.org. 

SOAR's Complete Guide for Entrepreneurship in Eastern Kentucky

You're not in this alone. Click HERE to complete a contact form to download the five-part Guide.

Inside this guide you’ll find everything you need to:

• Create a foundational plan to bring your idea to life.
• Launch a business by building a world-class online presence.
• Grow your existing company with funding and investments.
• Operate efficiently with hiring, onboarding, and management practices.
• Improve everything you do to beat the competition.