The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking hosts and participants, in Georgia, for its 2017 InnovateHER Women Business Challenge. InnovateHER is a nationwide business competition designed to drive attention and resources to innovative products and services that help impact and empower the lives of women and families. Contestants in the pitch-style competition will vie for $70,000 in prize money provided by a gift from the Sara Blakely Foundation.
 
In addition to contestants, the SBA is also seeking organizations to host local competitions.

Each host will submit one local winner to the SBA, who will then identify up to 10 finalists. Entrepreneurs selected as finalists will be invited to the National InnovateHer challenge, to be held in mid-2017, in Washington. They will live-pitch their products and ideas to a panel of expert judges and compete for the top-three awards and prize money.
 
“I am excited the competition has returned and I am hopeful that local organizations and innovators will participate as hosts and contestants,” said Terri Denison, director of SBA’s Georgia District Office. “The Peach State has a rapidly growing innovation sector and I would love to see some of the great work being done here showcased to the nation.”
 
Over the past two decades, women entrepreneurs have been critical to growing businesses and creating jobs in cutting-edge fields such as precision medicine or cybersecurity, as well as through advances in agriculture and manufacturing. Women across the nation will benefit from investments in research and innovation that impact their experiences.
 
A lack of inclusion in the innovation-space leads to missed opportunities, especially when women make the majority of the buying decisions. The SBA is encouraging organizations across the country to participate in this important business challenge.
 
For more information including host registration, contest entry and competition rules, go to www.sba.gov/innovateHER.