RELEASE: Spark the Fire - Pitch Competition

The Spark the Fire pitch competition will take place on Friday, July 24, 2015 during the Youth and Women Event at the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. Thirty entrepreneurs from around the world will compete for a chance to win US$30,000 in cash and additional prizes.

After a series of afternoon pitch sessions, six entrepreneurs will be selected to compete in the final round, presenting to the Youth and Women Event attendees and a panel of esteemed judges, including The Case Foundation CEO Jean Case and representatives from the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), Vulcan Capital, Airbnb, and Barclays. The final competition will be moderated by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel. Top prizes will include:

·         Spark the Fire Champion Winner - US$10,000 cash prize

·         Spark the Fire Catalyst Winner - US$7,000 cash prize

·         Spark the Fire Startup Winner - US$3,000 cash prize

·         USADF African Impact Award - US$5,000 cash prize

·         USADF Top Woman-Owned African Business Award - US$5,000 cash prize

Additional prizes:

·         US$5,000 in Airbnb travel accommodations to five top winners

·         A chance to win entry to the Milken Institute Global Conference, a US$10,000 value

·         A chance to win entry to DEMO Africa, a US$300 value

Additional Information

Please direct questions to GESMediaRequests@state.gov, visit www.ges2015.org, and follow the conversation on social media with hashtag #GES2015Kenya.