By Mike Mather, mike.mather@virginia.edu
Mr. Wonderful isn’t on the panel, but the “Shark Tank”-style bank of judges at McIntire’s Galant Challenge could change lives in April.
Are you a member of the University of Virginia community with a great idea for a product or company? Do you need a pile of cash? If so, mark March 8 on your calendar. That’s the deadline to apply for the “Shark Tank”-type of contest to be held at the McIntire School, but organizers stress, it would be best to get the entries in earlier.
Technically, it is called the Galant Challenge. It’s named for 1980 McIntire graduate Mark Galant, but has grown to include a multitude of investors, including CAVAngels, a nonprofit investing club that focuses on funding UVA-connected entrepreneurs. Last year, investors poured a record amount of money – $15 million – into early-stage startups to take their concepts to the next level. Last year’s recipients included a father who improved a medical device to benefit his son and patients like him.
So, sharpen up and submit your pitch. If accepted, be ready to wow the judges on April 25.
