The Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) recently hosted an Amazon Web Services AI Pitch Competition at Lower Lincoln to bolster businesses’ integration of AI.
The competition featured 14 finalists, and five were awarded funds toward AI application development by AWS and co-sponsor Futran Solutions totaling $125,000.
The applicants were required to submit a business plan and project summary for the AI application they want to implement. The event featured a timed presentation by finalists to highlight their AI concepts and a question-and-answer session.
Judges were John Tsuetaki, VP of Sales at Futran Solutions, Joanne Tica, owner of Certified Impact LLC, and Eric Beschinski, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Navigator at NW-ISBDC.
“Unlike other pitch competitions, the awards are the actual AI application development, so recipients win the opportunity to build their application and work toward putting it into action,” said NW-ISBDC Regional Director Lorri Feldt. “This event propelled entrepreneurs to evaluate how AI can take their businesses to a new level as AI has entered the conversation for many companies.”
Winners included:
Serving seven counties in the region, the Northwest ISBDC offers no-cost assistance for entrepreneurs starting or expanding their businesses. Through one-on-one consulting, the NW-ISBDC helps guide small businesses toward their goals by offering referrals, workshops, training opportunities and other essential business tools. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Small Business Administration, the State of Indiana and other local partners.
