Pitch Johnny Competition

The Pitch Johnny Competition is open to all students at St. John’s University.

The 2021 edition will launch in September.

Do you have an interest in entrepreneurship? Or an innovative idea you want to pitch? What about a problem to solve? Want to hear feedback and network with industry professionals who own and operate businesses? The Pitch Johnny Competition is the competition for you!

This year, Pitch Johnny will be presented in a hybrid model! The Pitch Johnny 2021 edition will have both an online component and an in-person competition. This year students will have to develop video style pitches and compete over the course of an entire semester for a chance to earn seed money to start and grow their innovations.

Pitch Johnny Details (updated 7/12/21)

Round 1: Submit your pitches!

September 1st  – October 22th
(For-Profit and Social Entrepreneurship)
September 1st – October 29th
(High School) 

Students (College or High School) develop a 2 min video pitch & 1 paragraph description of a business idea and submit it into one division and a track within that division.

Submission Due Dates
October 22nd, 2021 (For-Profit and Social Entrepreneurship) 
October 29th, 2021 (High School) 

For Profit Division: Contains 3 Tracks 

• Undergraduate Students 
• Graduate Students 
• Women Only 

Social Entrepreneurship Division: Contains 1 Track 

• Non-Profit 

High School Division: Contains 1 Track 

• High School

Judges Round 1 Evaluation: 
October 22nd  – October 29th (For-Profit and Social Entrepreneurship) 

Judges Round 1 Evaluation: 
November 1st  – November 5th  (High School) 

Students are pre-screened by a team of elite judges (entrepreneurs, faculty, alumni, etc) and they select a total of 9 pitches to move on into the popular vote 

• 3 Pitches from the “For-Profit” Division: (1) Undergraduate (1) Graduate (1) Women 

• 3 Pitches from the “Social Entrepreneurship” Division: (3) Non-For-Profits 

• 3 Pitches from the “High School” Division: (3) High School  

Round 2: Popular Vote

November 8th – November 17th  

Video pitches selected to go to the popular vote will be judged by an online popular vote during a 2 week period, November 8th – November 17th 2021

Round 3: Final Round

November 20th, 2021

Contestants who make it to the Online Popular Vote will also compete in a live final pitch off at our Manhattan Campus where they will do a live pitch (no video) against the other competitors within their division and judged by a select group of entrepreneurs, alums, and faculty members. 

The Final Winners will be selected by a combination of online popular vote and the final judge panel. 

• The online popular vote will count for 40% towards their final rankings 

• The final judge panel will count towards for 60% towards their final rankings 

Prizes

Kevin James or Christine Munch
St. Augustine Hall, Second Floor
[email protected]

For further questions about judging or sponsoring Pitch Johnny please contact:
Luca Iandoli
St. Augustine Hall, 2-136
[email protected]
718-990-6414

2020 Pitch Johnny Sponsors 

• Steven J. Farella ’77SVC: Johnny Investor
• Jenny Alonzo '87SVC: Johnny Investor
• Glenn Gerstner '81SVC, Dean and Lesley H. and William L. Collins Distinguished Chair: Johnny Partner
• Thomas D. Hughes '77SVC: Johnny Partner
• Nicholas Plakoris '77SVC, '83MBA: Johnny Partner
• Cristin Burtis
• Emese Ivan