Problems & Pitches = $$$ & Recognition!

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Two items are usually present at the start of any successful business venture: 1) an important problem, and 2) a “pitch” that represents a business solution to that problem. Entrepreneurs love to identify important problems, because such problems often lead to rewarding business opportunities. When an entrepreneur has identified a problem and has developed a business solution, they often “pitch” their solution — their business opportunity — to potential customers, co-founders, and funders.

Recognizing the importance of problems and pitches, we have created new applications on the Urban Innovator Platform that allow anyone to quickly and easily document a problem or to pitch a business solution. We are announcing our Urban Innovator Platform applications alongside a related effort at University of Michigan: the “10,000 Pitches” competition.

The U-M 10,000 Pitches competition is open to anyone who has a “umich.edu” email address, including students, faculy, staff, and alums. The U-M campaign calls for folks to submit a 60 second video pitch of a business idea that solves a problem. U-M is awarding prizes and recognition for the “winning” pitches. You can find more info about the campaign by clicking on the image above, or by visiting this link. If you are entering an urban-focused pitch, select the label “Urban Entr. Init. – UEI” to associate your pitch with UEI. The U-M campaign is scheduled to end in October.

The UEI “Problems & Pitches” competition

At UEI, we are launching our new Problem Statements and Business Pitches apps in concert with the U-M 10,000 pitches campaign. Those who are eligible to participate in the U-M campaign can also submit a pitch in the UEI campaign. However, our campaign is not limited to the U-M community. Anyone who is registered on the Urban Innovator Platform (urbanei.org/register) can submit a Problem Statement or a Business Pitch in the Problems & Pitches competition. You can submit as many problem statements and business pitches as you wish. We will award cash prizes and recognition to the winners of the Problems & Pitches competition, and our winners will be chosen independently of those chosen by U-M.

How to enter the UEI “Problems & Pitches” competition

If you are not yet registered on the UEI Urban Innovator Platform, first do so by visiting urbanei.org/register. Contestants must enter a profile, including their picture, to be eligible. Anyone can register, but we prefer those who have a bonafide interest in applying innovation and entrepreneurship to improve urban quality of life.

Entering a Business Pitch

• Go to the [Platform] tab on the main menu, then click on [Business Pitches].
• Scroll down and click on [Submit a Pitch].
• Complete each of the required fields on the pitch form. You may also complete the “Author Full Name” and “Illustration” fields, but these are not required.
• Finally, you must enter a video recording of your pitch of up to 60 seconds in length. Don’t worry about the “Project Code” field at the bottom.
• When you have finished entering your pitch information, click on the “Submit” button to send your pitch. That’s it!

Entering a Problem Statement

• Hover over the [Platform] tab on the main menu, then click on [Problem Statements].
• Scroll down and click on [Submit a Problem Statement].
• Enter the required information at the beginning of the Problem Statement form: “Source”, “Title”, “Problem Location”. Don’t worry about the “Project Code” field.
• Next, under “Informal Problem Statement”, for “Submission Formats” click on Video.
• Click on Text as well if you wish to add a text version of your problem statement.
• Record your video problem statement, up to 60 seconds in length.
• If you have elected to provide a textual problem statement, enter that as well.
• OPTIONAL: Under “Illustration”, provide an image that represents your problem statement and a caption that describes the image.

Selection criteria and method

We seek Problem Statements that address important urban community needs. In selecting the winning problem statements, we will consider the severity of the problem and the number of people affected. We will also take into account the number of upvotes the problem receives on our platform.

We seek Business Pitches that address an important urban community need and that represent a sustainable and scalable business opportunity. We will take into account the “star” rating the business pitch receives on our platform.

Winners will be chosen by the UEI research team. The team’s decisions will be final.

Prizes

For each category, Problem Statements and Business Pitches, prizes will be awarded as follows:

First Prize	$500
Second Prize	$250
Third Prize	$100

In addition, winners will be recognized on the UEI web site and in our newsletter.

Time Frame

We will accept entries in the “Problems & Pitches” competition until midnight on October 31, 2025. We will announce the winners by the end of the day on Friday, November 14, 2025

Ongoing Engagement

Though the “Problems & Pitches” competition will end on October 31, the Problem Statements and Business Pitches applications will remain on the Urban Innovator Platform. We believe that urban innovators will want to continue to share problem statements and business pitches irrespective of a competition. By sharing such information on an ongoing basis, we will see more business activity and more business solutions that improve the quality of life in urban communities.