Celebrate Innovation Month with CVEP and Riverside County

CVEP and RivCo Celebrate Innovation in April with the 5th Annual Coachella Valley Fast Pitch

Palm Springs, California – The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) and Riverside County Office of Economic Development join forces this April to celebrate Riverside County Innovation Month. As part of the event, local entrepreneurs are invited to participate in the region’s signature Innovation Month event, Coachella Valley Fast Pitch.

Coachella Valley Fast Pitch will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at College of the Desert – Indio, 45524 Oasis St., Indio CA, 92201 on Thursday, April 7, 2022.

Entrepreneurs and innovators from all across the Coachella Valley are invited to apply to pitch their ideas to a panel of four expert judges, plus a fifth judge: the audience. Would-be competitors can submit innovative ideas for any business type, as long as they have a verifiable business presence in Riverside County and a minimum viable product with some sales or early investment. Applicants with innovations which are still at the concept stage may be deferred for one year.

“This competition is designed to highlight innovation in our region,” said Laura James, CVEP’s VP of Innovation. “And while there’s a perception that Greater Palm Springs is a community of leisure, we know there’s so much more innovation happening here. Highlighting our region’s innovators as part of a highly visible, county-wide competition helps us break the stereotype of the Valley as just a golf and retirement destination.”

Those selected to compete will have access to coaching and guidance prior to the competition. Prizes with a combined value of more than $1,000 will be awarded to top contestants. The judges of Coachella Valley Fast Pitch will have the option to send one competitor forward to the next phase of competition, the Riverside County Fast Pitch Finale, to be held in Temecula on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, where total prizes will exceed $25,000. Competition guidelines for the local Coachella Valley competition and the countywide competition are available at About — Riverside County Innovation Month (rivcoinnovation.org)https://www.rivcoinnovation.org/about.

The winner of the 2021 Coachella Valley Fast Pitch competition was Bear Simerson, Palm Desert resident and co-founder of 3C Health. Mr. Simerson then tied for first place at the Riverside County Fast Pitch Finale, taking home one half of the Finale’s $15,000 first-place prize. This year, Mr. Simerson will join the Coachella Valley Fast Pitch as a judge who has first-hand knowledge of the invaluable connections and guidance that are gained by competing.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information on sponsorship or to apply to compete, visit CVEP.com. Application deadline is Friday, March 25.

About CVEP

The mission of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership is to incite a vision-driven economic transformation in the Greater Palm Springs region. Established in 1994, the nonprofit organization is a vital innovator of regional business development initiatives, fostering entrepreneurship and diversifying industry. As the only regional entity with the capacity to execute technology-led economic development, the partnership has dedicated significant resources to incubate cutting edge businesses through its pioneering iHubs in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Indio. CVEP is committed to promoting a diversified, year-round economy through business attraction, retention, and expansion. Visit www.cvep.com  or call 760-340-1575.

About Riverside County Office of Economic Development

The Office of Economic Development’s mission is to elevate the economic position of the county and foster economic vitality, encourage business growth, build a positive business climate, preserve and enhance neighborhoods, improve the quality of life, provide and promote cultural and learning opportunities for all. The overarching goal of the department is to facilitate regional economic development efforts that promote job growth, investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation; the office also creates a business-friendly climate that supports the efforts of the private sector. Visit www.rivcoed.org or call 951.955.8916.