Nominations For The Black Enterprise Small Business Awards And The Entrepreneurs Summit Elevator Pitch Are Now Open

NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2015 — BLACK ENTERPRISE will hold its 2015 Entrepreneurs Summit hosted by Nationwide on Wednesday, May 13 through Saturday, May 16, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, with a powerhouse line-up of some of the nation’s most accomplished and celebrated entrepreneurs. Nominations and call for entries are now open for two of the most highly anticipated featured events of the summit, the Black Enterprise Small Business Awards and the Entrepreneurs Summit Elevator Pitch Competition, respectively.

The Black Enterprise Small Business Awards annually provides special recognition to African American entrepreneurs who embody the Black Enterprise entrepreneurial spirit. The company seeks to honor companies and individuals who are bringing new products to the forefront, redefining sales strategies, and discovering new and profitable markets. Nominations are being solicited for awards in the following categories:

• Techpreneur of the Year – This award is given to a fast-growing company that is delivering groundbreaking technology products or is disrupting the digital industry in some manner.
• Community Pillar of the Year  – This award is given to an entrepreneur who has product or services that enrich lives and is committed to building both their brand and community.
• Family Business of the Year – This award is presented to a family-operated business that exemplifies the combined experience and expertise needed to excel in a key industry.
• Franchise Owner of the Year – This award is presented to a franchisee for outstanding performance and overall contribution in enhancing the growth and development of the franchising industry.

“Our Small Business Award’s represents one of the nation’s most powerful recognition of entrepreneurial excellence. Our audience shares with us those outstanding entrepreneurs in technology, franchising and community impact as well as rising stars and those who have made it into the small business pipeline before adulthood, revealing promising careers in business,” said Black Enterprise Senior SVP and Chief Content Officer Derek Dingle.  “At BLACK ENTERPRISE, a core component of our mission is discovery, which we have done every year for 20 years of our Summit, this awards presentation fuels the aspirations of other African American business owners who seek to be identified among the very best.”

All entries and nominations for the Black Enterprise Small Business Awards must be received by March 31, 2015. To enter and for nomination requirements, visit www.BlackEnterprise.com/es. Winners will be announced at a special awards luncheon at the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit.

Entries are also being solicited for the 2015 Entrepreneurs Summit Elevator Pitch Competition. Black Enterprise is soliciting video submissions of business pitches from entrepreneurs across the nation. Those pitches will be evaluated by a panel of Black Enterprise small business experts, who will identify the finalists. The top 10 finalists will be invited to the Entrepreneurs Summit to pitch their idea to judges and a live audience for a chance to win $10,000.  All Elevator Pitch Competition entries must be received by video submissions by April 17, 2015. To enter, and for official contest and on-site competition rules, go to www.BlackEnterprise.com/es

“The Elevator Pitch Competition has evolved into one of the highlights of our conference.  Not only has it proven to be instructional and entertaining to our attendees but it has enabled scores of entrepreneurs to gain growth capital as well as consultation from the most brilliant minds in business,” said Dingle.

This marks the 20th year of the three-day power summit, which annually brings together more than 1,200 of the country’s leading entrepreneurs and corporate executives. The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit is designed to provide attendees with the latest and most innovative strategies from today’s top business minds. The conference will also provide high-powered networking opportunities that are critical to attendees’ efforts to take their businesses from successful launch to growth and profitability. Business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs will gain insight about business plan development and start-up planning as well as tactical growth and investment strategies. The conference will take place in the heart of downtown Atlanta located in close proximity to a wide variety of locally owned eateries, theaters, and retail shops.

For updates, follow BLACK ENTERPRISE Entrepreneurs Summit page on Facebook and search the #BESummit hash tag on Twitter.