Elevator Pitch Competition

Get Ready to Pitch!

Champlain College’s Career Collaborative, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and the Office of Institutional Advancement collaborate to present the Annual Elevator Pitch Competition held during spring semester. The contest invites participating students to give their 90-second “pitch” to an executive (dubbed the “suit”) as they ride together in a fictional elevator. There are three categories of competition:

Entrepreneurs/Game Developers
Job/Internship Seekers
Advocates

The event is patterned on a national competition and teaches students the importance of presenting a “big idea” as succinctly and convincingly as possible. The competition is open to all years and majors. Support and coaching is available from about a dozen volunteer coaches─faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Champlain.

Why Participate in the Elevator Pitch?

To learn essential communications and networking skills.
To gain self-confidence.
Maybe win some serious CASH!
- Three $500 first-place prizes
- $2,700 total in cash prizes
Students can fulfill an InSight Career à la Carte milestone.
Have some FUN!

Cash Incentives

What’s the incentive—besides learning an important life skill? Quite simply it’s cash—$2,700 in all—with three $500 first-place prizes, three $300 second-place prizes, and three $100 third-place prizes. Additional prizes of gift certificates to local restaurants are also up for grabs to contestants who earn the “audience favorite” vote.

As a prior judge of the Elevator Pitch competition, I am very much looking forward to participating again this year. We have a great relationship with Champlain College. Time and time again, they have supplied us with talented and knowledgeable graduates which we employ in our marketing, accounting, human resources, sales and other departments.

Coddy Marx, Human Resources Director | Heritage Automotive Group

Questions?

Contact us!

Pat Boera

Co-Director

Career Collaborative

Schedule an Appointment

Pat Boera

Co-Director

Additional Roles	Career Coach
Staff Member	Career Collaborative
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	University of Vermont, Bachelor of Science Business Administration
Areas of Expertise	Stiller School of Business, School of Social Innovation, and Degree Design Lab Career Development Personal Branding Job Search Strategies
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Home State	New York
Fun Fact About Me	Growing up, we were known as the “Flop Family” and, as the oldest of seven children, I am Flop #1
Contact	Garden House Schedule an Appointment

Biography

A former New Yorker who adopted Vermont as “home,” Pat Boera is an enthusiastic member of the Champlain College Career Collaborative team.

As a University of Vermont graduate who majored in Marketing, Pat uses her expertise every day to help students and alumni market themselves to prospective employers. She worked in the Hospitality Industry out of college, spending time on the management team of two of Vermont’s leading properties—The Tyler Place Family Resort and the historic Middlebury Inn. With this background, she strives to provide five-star service to the varied constituents who are her “customers”—students, alumni, colleagues, employers, and community members. Pat was honored by her Champlain College colleagues with selection as the first recipient of the Elizabeth Durick Staff Service Award.

Pat works hard and plays hard. When she’s not working at her office in the Garden House, popping into classes to present workshops, assisting with InSight initiatives, planning a Career Ed*Venture or Signature Event, or helping facilitate the Annual Elevator Pitch Competition, you are likely to find Pat dedicating time to favorite community activities in Burlington and Middlebury. She has been a volunteer with Lyric Theatre Company since college days, working in nearly every behind-the-scenes aspect of productions. She was a longtime House Captain at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts; is a trained Audio-Describer who helps blind and visually-impaired audience members “see” performances; and helped found the award-winning Middlebury Summer Festival on-the-Green.

Pat has been recognized for service with two special awards—The Middlebury College Citizens Medal and as a United Way Hometown Heroes Nominee—and she hopes that this involvement makes her a good role model for Champlain College students and alumni. Pat can’t go a day without reading. She also dabbles in artisan crafts, specifically calligraphy and silk-screening and loves to be in the audience at live theater performances every chance she gets.

What are your hobbies?

Volunteering, reading, calligraphy, silk-screening

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Favorite eateries: Warner’s Snack Bar on the St. Albans-Swanton Road; Rosie’s Restaurant in Middlebury. Favorite things to do in Vermont: Exploring Vermont’s cities and towns as part of the Vermont 251 Club; attending live theater performances with friends