The Los Angeles Sports Council (LASC) is pleased to announce the inaugural Los Angeles Innovation Conference. The 2022 conference is set for Wednesday, November 9 at YouTube Theater in Sofi Stadium. The newly formed annual conference is designed to examine the world of sport in the local community and connect and engage sports business leaders on the emerging trends and cutting-edge innovations in the sports industry, further celebrating Los Angeles as the number one sports community in the world.
With the sports tech community thriving in LA, the LA Sports Innovation Conference will launch a Sports Tech Startup Showdown competition in partnership with Panoramic Ventures. The Startup Showdown is excited to build upon the momentum of the sports tech ecosystem in the city.
The pitch competition will follow a full day of programming, including sessions such as the business of sports, athletes in business, as well as the release of the findings of the only comprehensive report on how the sports industry financially impacts our community on an annual basis.
This inaugural gathering will highlight and embody the diversity, talent, and passion that has built LA into one of the world’s most extraordinary places for sports. The annual conference is designed to engage the industry's sports business leaders on emerging trends and cutting-edge innovations in the sports industry.
In an interview with the LA Times, David Siegal, President the Los Angeles Sports Council and Panoramic Managing Partner Paul Judge shared insight into the partnership and the first pitch competition on the west coast. “Mix ‘Shark Tank’ with an actual party,” said Judge, “wealth is not evenly distributed, opportunity is not evenly distributed,” he said. “How can we help make access to capital more fair?”
True to Startup Showdown tradition, every startup finalist selects a rap or hip-hop walkout song, and the judges do too. After the pitches, the judges deliberate backstage and write a life-size check to the winner.
Event Date: Wednesday, November 9 at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets for Event: https://www.lasports.org/innovation-conference
For more information and to attend the Innovation Conference visit www.lasports.org/innovation-conference to purchase tickets.
This event will bring together thought leaders, dealmakers, industry innovators, and athletes to discuss relevant topics that affect the business of sport in the LA region and beyond.
From the hundreds of Startup Showdown applications, we anticipate receiving, 25 semifinalists will be selected to attend Mentor Day where startups will be paired with experienced founders and tech executives to help refine their pitches and gain valuable feedback.
Five finalists will be selected to compete on stage in front of a panel of guest investor judges for a chance to win a $120,000 investment prize, in front of a live audience.
In addition to the investment, the winner of Startup Showdown will get access to a wide variety of resources and opportunities as a full-fledged member of our portfolio, including a dedicated acceleration team that helps founders navigate the myriad challenges and hurdles that young startups need to overcome to succeed.
The call for applications to pitch is now open and closes on September 30.
This will be the 13th Startup Showdown competition since inception, with previous stops in Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, and Austin, and 1,300+ mentor sessions hosted, and over $1.6M invested.
Meet the previous winners here: https://www.startupshowdown.vc/community/
We hope you will join us at YouTube Theatre in SoFi Stadium!
For additional questions, connect with Natalie Beitashour at natalie@element23.co
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