Annual venture competitions offer student and alumni entrepreneurs more than $300,000 in prize money and, more importantly, access to investors and connectors to drive their ideas forward. The Greif Center hosts and supports various competitions and prizes, including:
ATHENA Female Founders Pitch Competition
Applications OPEN! Spotlighting female founders within the USC community, the ATHENA Female Founders Pitch Competition invites teams to pitch new and independent ventures before a panel of experts. First place: $10,000 cash prize.
Contestants refine pitches through workshops; finals are judged by venture capitalists, angel investors, and entrepreneurs. Hosted and funded by the Greif Center. Total prizes: $85,000. More Info...
USC Wrigley Sustainability Prize
Help build your idea for meaningful environmental change into a successful business just by entering. In partnership with IncubateUSC, all entrants receive support developing a professional business plan, networking opportunities, and coaching to develop their pitch to potential investors. Semi-finalists receive a free trip to USC's renowned Wrigley Institute on Catalina Island and more intensive coaching to help launch their entrepreneurial idea into a new business. Sponsored by USC Dornsife, the competition is open to the entire USC community. Cash prizes up to $7,000.
Women in Business Competition
The USC Marshall Graduate Women in Business Competition invites teams of women MBA students to pitch new business ideas before a panel of experts. Total prizes: $40,000.
Students from all disciplines showcase their businesses and prototypes during Trojan Family Weekend. The most promising concepts compete for cash awards. Total prizes: $30,000.
Maseeh Prize Competition (with USC Viterbi)
The focus is solving global problems in energy, health, education, safety, and the environment — and giving engineering students valuable business skills.
All Viterbi and Marshall undergraduates and graduate students are invited to an information session at 12:00pm on Thursday, September 20 in EEB 132. Come learn about our competitions and how to win cash for your startup! The Maseeh Entrepreneurship Prize Competition includes customer discovery workshops, connections to industry mentors, and a $50,000 Grand Prize! Please RSVP here.
The Min Family Engineering Social Entrepreneurship Challenge (with USC Viterbi)
USC students use innovative engineering and technology to develop sustainable, effective solutions to global problems. Total prizes: $50,000.
The Real Deal @USC (with USC Viterbi)
Spotlighting USC and L.A., and partially funded through USC’s National Science Foundation I-Corps grant, students make pitches Shark Tank-style for equity investments.
