Business Plan Competition
2023 Guidelines
Overview .................................................... 1
Timeline ..................................................... 3
Eligibility Requirements ............................... 4
Evaluation Criteria ....................................... 5
Business Plan Format and Components ....... 7
Submission ................................................ 9
Perfect Pitch Activities .............................. 10
Judges ..................................................... 11
Frequently Asked Questions ...................... 18
Sponsors
We are grateful to several individuals and businesses who encourage entrepreneurship by sponsoring
the CBPP Business Plan Competition. The full list of sponsors was not available at press time, but will
be updated at: business.uaa.alaska.edu/events/business-plan-competition-2023.
Questions?
If you have questions after reviewing this guidebook, please address them to:
Dr. Helena Wisniewski [email protected]
Guidebook prepared: November 1, 2022 (Rev 1/26/23 with updated submission email. Rev 2/2/23 to update Perfect Pitch date).
Business Plan Competition 2023 Guidebook
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Overview
The CBPP Business Plan Competition inspires and encourages entrepreneurship and economic
development. UAA students and aspiring entrepreneurs from the Municipality of Anchorage present their
startup ideas and meet and receive feedback from experienced investors, executives, and seasoned
entrepreneurs who have successfully started and grown businesses.
Interested participants will be able to interact with judges and gain additional information before the entry
deadline.
Finalists are invited to attend a session focusing on elements they should incorporate into their
presentations for the culminating Perfect Pitch event.
Eligibility & Requirements
• All UAA students from all UAA campuses, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs who live in the
Municipality of Anchorage (Chugiak to Girdwood).
• Entrants can be individuals or teams of up to five members.
• Entrants/winners from previous years may enter the 2023 competition.
• Eligible business types include those at a concepting stage through early-stage companies
looking for resources to grow.
• All finalists are required to attend the Perfect Pitch event in person, which consists of a mini
Tradeshow followed by live investor pitches.
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Stages of the Competition
STAGE 1 – WRITTEN BUSINESS PLAN
The required business plan format and components are detailed starting on page 7 of this guidebook.
Finalists are selected from the submitted business plans. They receive a Finalist Certificate and are
invited to the next stage of the competition.
STAGE 2 – PERFECT PITCH TRADE SHOW & INVESTOR PITCH
Overall winners will be selected based on a trade show display and a live
investor pitch presented before a panel of judges and audience at the final
Perfect Pitch event. To compete at Perfect Pitch, finalists must be present in
person and deliver a live pitch followed by a Q&A session with the judging
panel. Final scores are based on the trade show display (20%) and the live
pitch/Q&A (80%). Details are included on page of this guidebook.
Award Categories
Amounts will be announced in January 2023. Total award amount last year was $17,000 and we
expect to award a similar amount this year.
Grand Prize
Second Prize
People’s Choice
Sustainability Award
First Fortune 500 Award
• Entrants may win multiple prizes.
• The Sustainability Award will be given for the best plan in one of the following:
o The best description in the business plan of how the startup will sustain its business and grow.
o The best business plan for green technology.
• If two different plans fulfill one of these categories, then the award will be split.
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Timeline
November 4, 2022
Informative and inspirational kick-off session to review program details and timeline.
January 26, 2023
Info Session focused on business plan components for those who intend to enter the competition.
February 17, 2023
Business Plans due by 5 pm Alaska Time to: Dr. Helena S. Wisniewski with a copy to
March 17, 2023
Finalists announced. The number of finalists may vary from year to year.
The week of March 20, 2023
Investor Pitch Info Session to help finalists prepare for the Perfect Pitch presentation and Q&A.
April 7, 2023
Perfect Pitch. Finalists will attend this culminating event in person to showcase their businesses
during a mini Trade Show followed by live investor pitches in front of a panel of judges and a live
audience.
Business Plan Competition 2023 Guidebook
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Eligibility Requirements
The CBPP Business Plan Competition inspires and encourages entrepreneurship and economic
development. UAA students and aspiring entrepreneurs from the Municipality of Anchorage present their
startup ideas and meet and receive feedback from experienced investors, executives, and seasoned
entrepreneurs
The 2023 CBPP Business Plan Competition is open to:
• UAA students from any discipline at all UAA campuses,
• Aspiring entrepreneurs who live in the Municipality of Anchorage(Chugiak to Girdwood).,
Additionally:
• Team size should not exceed five members.
• Multi-disciplinary, cross-pollinated teams are encouraged.
• We will accept business plans for new ventures, products, innovative projects, and non-profit ideas as
well as plans for existing businesses in the early-stage who need resources to grow.
• The objective of the business plan competition is to promote marketable business and social
enterprise ideas that have the potential to attract funding, launch, and prosper. Each person on the
team should be involved from the concept through the development of the business plan. Ideally, each
team member will take an active ownership role in the startup.
• All plans, pitches, and presentations must be accurate and truthfully represent the venture.
Misrepresentation will result in disqualification.
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Evaluation Criteria
There are two stages of the Business Plan Competition. In Stage 1, competitors are evaluated
based on a written business plan. Based on the strength of the written plan, finalists will be
selected to compete in Stage 2: the Perfect Pitch. During Perfect Pitch, finalists are evaluated
on a trade show presentation and a live investor pitch/Q&A. Criteria for all Business Plan
components (written plan, trade show and investor pitch) are detailed below. Numbers in
parenthesis indicate the value of the criterion.
Written Business Plan criteria (100 points possible)
• Necessary components – The business plan contains all the required sections (5)
• Viability – The venture is implementable, realistic, and viable (20)
• Market opportunity – Show the market potential of the proposed venture exists and your method for
taking advantage of it (15)
Competitive advantage – the business has a unique, novel, or distinct approach, which gives it an
advantage (15)
• Management capability – Contestants can effectively develop the venture and handle the tasks
necessary for its success (15)
• Innovation – Contestants have developed an innovative solution to an existing or emerging problem
(15)
• Financial understanding – Contestants have a good understanding of the financial requirements of the
venture (15)
Perfect Pitch finalists will be evaluated on two components
1. Trade Show Presentation – The trade show is held before the Investor Pitch. Finalists prepare a
display/presentation in the trade show room. Judges and guests visit and chat casually with finalists
to learn about their businesses. The trade show presentation is worth 20% of the final judging and will
be evaluated on the following criteria: (100 points possible)
• Professionalism of the presentation of the materials (20)
• Professionalism of the team (10)
• Creativity and information value of the materials (25)
• Extent to which materials convey what the product or service is (25)
• Consistency between information provided at the Trade Show and the Business Plan (20)
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2. Investor Pitch – A six-minute presentation followed by a 20-minute question/answer session. One
member of the team will do the presentation, but all should be present on the stage. Pitches will be
worth 80% of the final judging. Investor pitches will be evaluated on the following criteria:
• Clear explanation of the product/service and persuasiveness of the oral presentation/pitch (10)
• Quality of the responses to questions from the judges (10)
• Venture viability (10)
• A clear statement of the problem/opportunity (customer pain) and solution (includes value
proposition and customer pain you are eliminating) (20)
• Features & benefits of goods or services that the venture proposes and business model (20)
• Market potential – the size of the opportunity, competitive analysis & competitive advantage (20)
• Forecast and Financial summary and need for investment (10)
Tip
Planning your Investor Pitch
One team member, or individual contestant, makes a presentation to the judging panel and live audience.
The pitch is an oral presentation made without interruption for six minutes and will be followed by a
twenty-minute question-and-answer period from the judges. The pitch, while demonstrating
communication skills, describes the business proposal succinctly and persuasively so that the judges, if
they were actual venture capitalists, would be eager to fund it.
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Business Plan Format and Components
Format
File format
A printable PDF file.
Length
Limit your plan to seven (7) pages, including a two-page executive
summary. The page limit does not include the cover page and
single table of contents page. The written plan may include an
Appendix with up to four additional pages.
Page format
Single-spacing with one-inch margins and 12-point Times New
Roman font. This line spacing and font requirement apply to the
document's textual content, not to titles and descriptions
accompanying pictures, graphs, tables, or worksheets. All pages
must be numbered, excluding the cover page.
Cover page
Must include the logo, the venture name, the team members, and
contact information for each team member. The contact
information should consist of an e-mail address and a phone
number.
Financial data
Financial data should be summarized and highlighted in the
written plan, supporting details, and spreadsheet information in
the Appendix. Startup costs and how the investment will be used,
along with income and cash flow statements, are appropriate
Tip
Developing your
business plan
To be competitive, your plan
needs to differentiate your
business from other
competitors. The clarity and
descriptiveness of your
proposal will make a
difference and enhance your
chances of becoming a
finalist. In the business world,
you would need to do the
same thing to inspire
stakeholders to support your
new venture.
When developing your plan,
you may consult any sources
you deem appropriate,
including websites on how to
prepare a business plan. For
example: the U.S. Small
Business Administration’s
Write your business plan.
Business Plan Competition 2023 Guidebook
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Components
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
• Business description concept
• The Problem that you are solving
• Solution to the Problem
• Value Proposition
• Business Model
• Target market and size
• Market trends over 3-5 years
• Competitive analysis
• Top management team
• Financial summary – include breakeven
point, and over a 3-year period revenue
trend, and gross margin.
• Funding requirements: what do you need?
• Closing: a statement of resources needed,
increments of capital accepted
Business Description
• Company description
• Value proposition
• Mission
• Product and/or services description
• Business model
• Current Status
• Current or committed funding and all
funding sources
Competitive Analysis and Advantages
Comparison between your company and your
competitors (you can use a chart to compare).
Market Opportunity & Analysis
• Customers
• What customer problem are you going to
solve?
• How are you going to solve it?
• Market segment
• Size of market
Organization & Management Team
• Founders and key management personnel
• Form of ownership
• Partnerships
• Board of Advisors
• Board of Directors
Operational Plan
• Description of operations
• Exit strategy
Financial Analysis
• An analysis of your financials, including a
breakeven point, and a spreadsheet that
covers a three-year period.
• Gross margins over a three-year period
• Revenue over three years
• Cash flow over three years
• Profit
• Income statement
• Balance sheet
Funding Request
Explain how you will use the funding to
support/start this business venture and
sustain it beyond the initial funding
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Submission
The written business plan must be submitted electronically in PDF format to Dr. Helena S. Wisniewski at
[email protected], with a copy to [email protected], by 5 pm on February 17, 2023.
After Business Plans are submitted:
Written business plans will be forwarded to a panel of judges for review prior to the competition. The list
of judges is in the final section of this document.
Finalists will be selected and announced on March 17, 2023.
Finalists will prepare a six -minute pitch for the Perfect Pitch event, to be presented in front of the judges
and a live audience.
An info session to help finalists prepare for the Investor Pitch will be held the week of March 20, 2023. The
forum will be via Zoom. Additional information regarding the time, date, and Zoom link will be e-mailed to
each finalist.
The Perfect Pitch final competition will be on April 7, 2023. Details, including a schedule of events, will be
posted on the College of Business and Public Policy website at business.uaa.alaska.edu.
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Perfect Pitch Trade Show and Investor Pitch
Perfect Pitch is an exciting culmination of our Business Plan Competition. It is held in person in
Anchorage, with the following components:
Trade Show Presentation
• Each individual or team contestant finalist will be provided with a table to display prototypes, artifacts,
information materials, and flyers relating to the product/service they are proposing in their new
ventures.
• Each finalist can do a one-on-one presentation to each of the judges, using their Trade Show display
as a prop. The trade show is a marketing opportunity and a chance to impress the judges further.
• Finalists will also get a chance to interact with other Perfect Pitch attendees, which can be an
important part of the People’s Choice selection.
• During the Trade Show portion of Perfect Pitch, finalists must be present at their designated tables to
describe their displays and answer questions. All contestants should be versed in the venture and be
able to explain it succinctly.
• The Trade Show presentation is worth 20% of the final Perfect Pitch score. Thus, products or services
should be presented in a professional, attractive, and informative way.
Food
Food will be served after the Trade Show.
Investor Pitch
Each team or individual contestant will make a 6-minute presentation to the judges, using props or
electronic media, as necessary. The judges will then have 20 minutes to pose questions to the
contestants. The Investor Pitch accounts for 80% of the final Perfect Pitch score.
People's Choice Voting
After presentations are completed, the audience will vote for the People's Choice Award while the judges
are deliberating.
Award Ceremony
The evening will culminate with the announcement of winners in all categories of the Business Plan
Competition.
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Judges
Thank you to our judges, who volunteer their time to provide a valuable experience for our finalists. The
following is the list of judges as of November 2022. Additional judges may be selected and will be posted
at business.uaa.alaska.edu. Please visit the website for pictures and other information about the judges.
Mr. Jon Bittner
State Director, Alaska Small Business Development Center (AK SBDC)
As State Director, Mr. Bittner oversees seven regional centers to ensure that the organization continues to
provide accessible, high-quality business assistance services to individuals and existing businesses. He
also serves as a member of the University of Alaska's Business Enterprise Institute's (BEI) leadership
team.
Bittner provides strategic planning and advocacy services for both the AK SBDC and BEI. Before this
position, he was Vice President of Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Bittner's diverse
and distinguished career includes serving as the Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of
Commerce, Community & Economic Development; a Geologist at Millrock Resource; and in the State
Legislature on the Alaska Clearinghouse Staff on the Staff to Rep. Craig Johnson. He is an alum of UAA,
where he received his BS in geology.
Mr. Art Clark
Co-founder, Alaska Real Estate Associates (AREA)
Art Clark is the co-founder of Alaska Real Estate Associates (AREA). He created AREA to react properly to
the changing economic climate in Alaska. He is a life-long Alaskan, born in Fairbanks, before Statehood,
and started his career working for one of the first airlines in both the country and Alaska, Wien Air Alaska,
until it closed in 1984. He then went on to work in several other jobs, one of which jobs was as a real
estate appraiser. Art received a job opportunity with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) in 1988
as a property inspector. At that time, AHFC had repossessed 4800 properties state-wide. Art had the
opportunity to inspect quite a few of those homes throughout the state. In 1991, having successfully
liquidated most of the inventory, Art decided to get into real estate sales. Art worked for several
companies, including a stint as a broker at Real Estate Unlimited. Art joined Roy Briley at Real Estate
Brokers of Alaska (REBA) and became the Broker at REBA until January of 2019. In June 2019 Roger Briley
and Art decided to team up and formed Alaska Real Estate Associates (AREA). They decided they liked the
idea of a smaller, more-nimble company to react properly to the changing economic climate in Alaska. He
graduated from the University of Alaska class of 1974. He is active in the Anchorage community and
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serves on the Design Review Commission, Municipality of Anchorage, and the Board of Directors Current,
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. He also served as president of the following organizations: Anchorage
Board of Realtors, Alaska Association of Realtors, the Greater Alaska Chapter, Community Association
Institute, the Anchorage International Rotary (he is currently a member), and of Anchorage Midtown
Rotary.
Ms. Evelyn Jacome
Project Manager, Alaska Center ICE
Evelyn Jacome is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. She has worked in several
businesses including sustainability, forestry, micro finance, and seed funding for early stage
entrepreneurs, and founded Wildcat Microfund. Evelyn has been involved in the successful development of
the entrepreneurial ecosystem in northern Utah and has used her multicultural background and experience
to support underrepresented communities and minorities to start innovative business in Ecuador and Utah.
Evelyn is currently an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the Business School of management at the
University of Alaska Anchorage and project manager of the Small Business Innovation Research at the
Alaska Center ICE in Fairbanks. She was born in Ecuador and completed her economics bachelor’s in the
United States and later received an entrepreneurship master’s degree in England.
Ms. Linda Janes
Director, gBETA Anchorage gener8tor
Linda is a co-founder of three Alaskan startups (software, food & beverage and agtech) and a former
member of the military intelligence community. She enjoys investing in real estate, stocks, and blockchain
technology. In 2021, she added startups to her portfolio as a first-time angel investor with the Alaska
Angel Conference. Currently Linda works as a director of gBETA Anchorage accelerator, helping early
stage Alaskan startups grow and get funded. gBETA Anchorage is a program of a gold-rated accelerator
and venture capital company - gener8tor. Linda is an alumna of both UAF and UAA and holds a bachelor of
science in biology and an MBA.
Mr. Allan Johnston
Chief Encouragement Officer
Allan Johnston dubbed the Chief Encouragement Officer, has been a driver of entrepreneurship, mentoring,
and innovation efforts in Alaska for nearly two decades since the first Alaska Business Plan Competition
at the turn of the century. He has become even more active since retiring from Wedbush Securities in 2012
after a 36-year career. In the summer and winter of 1974-75 in Fairbanks, Johnston worked for Bechtel.
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The major programs Johnston is credited with launching include the following: Alaska Business Plan
Competition in 1999, the 49th State Angel Fund in 2012, the Global Entrepreneurship In Residence
Program in 2016, Startup Weekend in 2012, The Alaska Energy Prize contest (now set to take place in
2018) and the Alaska Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support network. He also helped develop Launch
Alaska.
Mr. James Kostka
Chief Operating Officer and Owner, Alaskan Data Solutions
Mr. Kostka has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, primarily focusing
on operations and sales engineering. Over his career in Alaska, he has worked for Alascom, AT&T, MTA
Solutions, GCI, and Tatitlek Native Corporation. He has also started two businesses, Troika Technologies
(which was acquired by MTA and is now MTA Solutions) and Alaskan Data Solutions, where he currently
works as the chief operating officer. Mr. Kostka has called Alaska home for 28 years. Born and raised in
Massachusetts, he has served in both the United States Navy as an Aircraft Mechanic and in the Army as
an Airborne Infantry Officer. Kostka received a BS in economics and
business management from Framingham State College and received his ROTC Commission from
Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Since making Alaska his home, he has served on many organizations and
boards, ranging from the Alaska Junior Theater to the Anchorage Museum. He currently serves on the
board of directors and the development committee for both the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and the
University of Alaska Foundation.
Mr. Steve Socolof
Managing Partner, Tech Council Ventures
Mr. Socolof has been a technology investor for over twenty years, with interests in enterprise software
(particularly applications of AI/ML), infrastructure required to collect, store, and process data, internet of
things, wireless, and environmental and materials technologies. Tech Council Ventures (TCV) is a top-
performing venture fund investing in early and expansion-stage companies across all industries in the Mid-
Atlantic region to provide expansion capital to the region's rapid growth entrepreneurs and capitalize on
the fertile ecosystem. TVC has $130 million under management, and it is affiliated with one of the largest
and most active technology councils in the US - the NJ. Tech Council. TCV II is the successor fund to TCV
I, whose investment returns in the US rank in the top 1% for the asset class.
Before TCV, Mr. Socolof created a venture incubator for Lucent's Bell Laboratories for five years and then
formed and ran New Venture Partners (NVP) for 15 years, investing in the commercialization of
technologies spun out of corporate labs. NVP managed $840M. He is currently on the board of StratIS IoT,
Business Plan Competition 2023 Guidebook
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SunRay Scientific, Vydia, and the public company Everspin Technologies, an investment of his prior fund.
He was recently a director of Airclic (sold to Descartes Systems), Alverix (sold to BD), Neohapsis (sold to
Cisco), Silicon Hive (sold to Intel), Sychip (sold to Murata), and an observer of Flarion Technologies (sold
to Qualcomm). Mr. Socolof has also been a leader in the corporate venture community and was Chair of
the Corporate Venture Group within the National Venture Capital Association and on the Advisory Board of
Global Corporate Venturing. He received an MBA from The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College, where
he is currently on the Center for the Study of VC & PE board. He received degrees in economics and
mathematical sciences from Stanford University.
Dr. Charlene Walters
Entrepreneurship Coach
Charlene Walters, MBA, PhD is a business and branding mentor and entrepreneurship coach on
Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Ask an Expert" platform and through her own consulting business
(www.charlenewalters.com) where she enjoys working one-on-one with a variety of entrepreneurs,
businesses and professionals. She is also a corporate trainer, and the author of Launch Your Inner
Entrepreneur (McGraw Hill). Additionally, Charlene is a featured expert on QUORA's Business, Education
and Society & Culture spaces and a TV host on Launch with Charlene Walters (D B & A Television) now
streaming on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV. Charlene previously developed and led a Digital
Entrepreneurship MBA program, teaches entrepreneurship courses for the University of Alaska Anchorage,
writes a blog and a weekly Medium article, is a frequent media contributor and guest (Entrepreneur,
Forbes, Thrive Global, Apple News, CNBC Make It, The LISTTV, etc.) and was identified as one of 150
Marketers to Follow by Rubicly.
Dr. Helena S. Wisniewski
Professor of Entrepreneurship & Chair, Management, Marketing, Logistics, and Business Analytics Dept,
College of Business and Public Policy, UAA
Dr. Helena Wisniewski has extensive executive and leadership experience in industry, government,
academia, and service on public and private boards of directors. Dr. Wisniewski is a Fellow of the National
Academy of Inventors in recognition for developing and facilitating inventions that benefit society. She is a
technological entrepreneur who has formed and sold 12 startup companies across diverse technology
areas. She is currently Chair of the Management, Marketing, Logistics, and Business Analytics Department
and a Professor of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP) at UAA, where
she created the first AI course in CBPP, the AI webinar series, and established the Alaska Data Science &
AI Lab (ADSAIL) to use AI to solve challenges while facilitating experiential learning for students. She is
the Founding Director of the Arctic Domain Awareness Center at UAA, which she created to develop and
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transition technologies to improve crisis response capabilities in the Arctic, making it the first DHS Center
of Excellence in Alaska.
She was the IBM Distinguished Speaker for their Distinguished Webinar Series in July 2022 that was
broadcast worldwide and presented “The Convergence of Emerging Technologies with AI.” She is recently
featured as a “Prolific Innovator” in the 25th Anniversary Issue of IEEE Women in STEM.
Dr. Wisniewski previously was Vice Provost for University Research and Dean of the Graduate School at
UAA and established an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. Before UAA, she was Vice
President for Research and Enterprise Development at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she tripled
research revenues, launched nine startups, and sold two.
Her industry executive roles at Lockheed Corporation, VP at Titan Corporation, and VP at Analytic Services
spanned initiating and directing innovative corporate-wide technology efforts. She was the Founder/CEO
of Aurora Biometrics, built an international business, and sold the company.
While manager of the Applied and Computational Mathematics Program at DARPA, she identified and
directed many breakthrough advances in science, mathematics, and engineering and pioneered
innovations in AI. Before DARPA, she served at the CIA.
Dr. Wisniewski co-authored a book on Academic Entrepreneurship - publisher World Scientific and is under
contract with World Scientific to write her book Global Supply Chain with Emerging Technologies. She is an
editor of the new special issue journal AI Education, a Journal of NAI’s Technology & Innovation. Among
her awards are the Rotary Vocational Service Award, the 2022 CBPP Innovator Award, Graduate Teacher of
the Year CBPP, and the 2001 Women in Technology Award for Entrepreneurship. The secretary of the Navy
appointed her to serve on NRAC.
Dr. Wisniewski earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from the Graduate Center of CUNY, her MS in math from
Stevens Institute of Technology, and her BA in math from William Paterson University, where she is a
distinguished Alum.
Mr. Greg Wolf
Executive Director, World Trade Center Alaska (WTCAK)
Mr. Greg Wolf is one of Alaska's most experienced economic development professionals. Since 2002 he
has been Executive Director of World Trade Center Alaska, a private, non-profit organization whose
mission is to assist Alaskans in competing successfully for trade and investment in the global
Marketplace. World Trade Center Alaska's membership consists of more than 100 companies and
individuals involved directly or indirectly with international trade and business. Through his work at the
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Center, Mr. Wolf has focused attention on export opportunities from Alaska to China. He has led three
trade missions to China, and for the past nine years, has conducted the annual Alaska-China Business
Conference. He is now helping focus attention on business opportunities emerging in the Arctic. Three
years ago, he conceived Arctic Ambitions, an annual conference that focuses specifically on trade,
commerce, and investment activities that will flow from developments in the region. Arctic Ambitions is an
international conference that brings together private sector executives and government officials from
Arctic nations and other countries. Before joining WTCAK, Wolf served as Director of the State of Alaska's
Division of International Trade and Market Development, the agency responsible for promoting Alaska's
exports and attracting new business to the State. He was responsible for the formulation and conduct of
the State's export promotion efforts and oversaw the State's trade offices in Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, and
Sakhalin, Russia. Wolf is a member of the World Affairs Council and Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board to
UAA's College of Business and Public Policy. He is an Adjunct Professor at UAA, has extensive experience
in economic development, and is recognized internationally for his accomplishments.
Mr. Joel Yarmon
Founder and Managing Director, Pipeline Capital Partners
On behalf of Pipeline Capital Partners, Mr. Yarmon serves on the boards of Ranker, Inventables, Hippo, and
Spiff, whose combined 2018 revenues exceed $90 million. Previous successes include isocket, Rentjuice,
Vivu, Skyward, Socialtext (acquired by Bedford Funding), Twitch, Cruise, Identified, Socialcam, Tripping
(acquired by Home2Go), Karmic Labs (acquired by Prepaid Technologies), TOA Technologies, Vizify
(acquired by DailyPay), Alohar Mobile, and Meldium. Combined, these exits represent more than two billion
dollars in value creation. Before founding Pipeline Capital Partners, Joel built and led the seed-stage
venture program at DFJ, Draper Associates, where he was one of the founding investors in companies
such as Twitch, Cruise, and Bitcoin, which have returned hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to his
Limited Partners. Mr. Yarmon began his career at the United States Senate in Washington, DC, where he
served as the technology director for the Senate Commerce Committee, advising senators on technology
legislation and policy. Yarmon also co-founded an IT consulting startup, Iceware Technologies, where he
specialized in wireless application infrastructure. He has an MBA from Tulane University's Freeman School
of Business and a BA from the University of Puget Sound. Mr.
Yarmon also studied at the US Naval War College in Washington, DC, and holds a Certificate in Joint
Maritime Operations. Joel is an avid weightlifter and cook, frequent traveler, and skis a few dozen days
per season.
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Joe Zimmermann
Cook Inlet Marketing Group, Inc.
Joe Zimmermann is a co-owner and director of Cook Inlet Marketing Group, Inc. (Chevron/Denali Express),
which owns 12 Chevron Service Stations and Convenience Stores in Anchorage, Eagle River and Palmer.
He is a University of Alaska (UA) graduate, 1979, with a Bachelor of Technology, Engineering/
Management, and he received his MBA from Pepperdine University in 1983. Over a period of 15 years, he
served as an adjunct instructor for the University of Alaska Anchorage’s (UAA) College of Business and
Public Policy (CBPP) teaching courses in Organizational Theory and Behavior, Management, Supervision
and Marketing. Joe’s career included serving as a Marketing Manager for Unocal Corporation and as the
Chief Operating Officer for Tryck Nyman Hayes, Inc., a local 70-person Civil Engineering firm. He is married
to Linda and they have two sons, Eric, a UAA graduate, an Air Traffic Controller at the Anchorage Tower,
and Navy Reserve Senior Chief Petty Officer; and Colin, an Atlas Air pilot, a Navy Reservist, and a former
Navy Pilot.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I live outside Anchorage. Can I still submit a Business Plan?
Not unless you are a UAA student. The competition is limited to UAA students or aspiring entrepreneurs
who live within the Municipality of Anchorage (Chugiak to Girdwood).
I started my business a couple of years ago. Am I eligible to compete?
The process for getting a business up and running can take time. If your business is fairly new and you
need funds to grow or are looking for expert feedback on your ideas, you are invited to submit your
business plan to the competition.
There are multiple prizes available. Is it possible to win more than one prize?
Certainly. For example, the 2022 winning team won Grand Prize, the Sustainability Award and the First
Fortune 500 award. It is also possible to split a prize with another team if it is determined multiple teams
are equally deserving.
I’m going to be out of town on the date of the Perfect Pitch. Can I submit a video
presentation instead?
If you are a finalist and would like to compete for prizes, you need to attend Perfect Pitch in person. Aside
from the investor pitch, there is an important Q&A session with the judging panel and a Trade Show when
you interact with judges and other Perfect Pitch attendees. Therefore, competition rules require in-person
attendance.
I’m on a team that was named a finalist. Do all of us have to be present at Perfect Pitch?
Yes, all team members must participate fully.
I won a cash award. Do I have to spend it on my business?
The CBPP Business Plan Competition is sponsored by individuals, organizations, and businesses that
want to support the entrepreneurial spirit. At its core, the Business Plan Competition has significant value
beyond the cash awards. Participants gain much from the experience itself: preparing a solid plan, giving a
pitch, receiving feedback from our expert panel of judges, and potentially catching the interest of an
investor.
Business Plan Competition 2023 Guidebook
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During Perfect Pitch, each finalist details their “ask” and describes what they need to do to further their
business. Winners are expected to invest cash awards in their business idea, but there is no binding
requirement to do so. At the least, we hope that finalists and winners will support the CBPP Business Plan
Competition in the future by:
• Providing quotes/insights into how the experience helped them.
• Providing updates on their entrepreneurial progress. For example, even if the business plan entered
doesn’t become a reality, perhaps the experience led them to a new business idea or they found
success applying entrepreneurial skills in a different way.
• Helping promote and expand the CBPP Business Plan Competition by spreading the word within their
own networks.
• Attending future Perfect Pitch events to support and cheer on future contestants.
