Final Four in the COSE Business Pitch Competition Announced

-$40,000 in prize money is up for grabs-

CLEVELAND, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A stronger wind turbine output, language interpreters via teleconference for the court system, flavor infused liquors direct from the distillery, and a unique new way to see Cleveland are all part of the ideas submitted among the final four competitors in The Council of Smaller Enterprises' (COSE) second annual COSE Business Pitch Competition.  Similar to the concept of the popular ABC reality TV show, Shark Tank, the competition will award $40,000 in prize money to the finalists, with the top winner taking home $20,000.

The final phase of the competition will feature the four finalists making their final pitches to a panel of judges. CEO and co-founder in the Priceline.com family of companies, Jeff Hoffman, will be in town to serve as our lead judge. Hoffman will also start the event with a keynote presentation sharing his story on entrepreneurial success.

COSE Business Pitch Competition Finale
Thursday, October 18
4 to 8 p.m.
Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare
1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

The Business Pitch Competition event is open to all interested individuals that have registered for the Conference. 

A total of 80 aspiring entrepreneurs submitted entries in the competition, consisting of a two-page executive summary and two-minute video pitching their ideas.  A panel of experts reviewed the entries and the top 12 were invited to COSE's offices on October 3 to make face-to-face pitch presentations to the judges. 

Out of that phase of the judging, here are the top four finalists that will compete for the top prize:

• Colleen O'Toole – On Demand Interpretation Services LLC (ODIS)
  ODIS provides on demand, certified legal interpreters, via remote secure videoconferencing for courts and their public support entities in 170 languages and American Sign Language (ASL).
• Niki Zmij – Amplified Wind Solutions (AWS)
  AWS has a wind turbine technology that is mounted on a cylindrical or helix-shaped structure that increases the velocity of the wind stream, thus producing up  to six times more electricity than a typical turbine.
• Kevin Suttman – Micro-Distillery Flavor Infusions
  Seven Brothers Distilling Company is a small Artisan distillery which produces small batch, "boutique" spirits, and takes advantage of new legislation to sample and sell liquor direct to consumers at their distillery.
• Michael Stanek – Cleveland Cycle Tours
  Cleveland Cycle Tours offers pre-mapped tours of Cleveland for small groups of people on a unique "group bicycle." The tours target individual groups, non-profit fundraising activities, and corporate team building outings.

For more information on the COSE Business Pitch Competition, go to www.cose.org/pitch. If you have questions, please contact Megan Kim at (216) 592-2356.

About COSE
COSE is one of Ohio's largest small business support organization, striving to help small businesses grow and maintain their independence. Comprised of more than 14,000 member companies, COSE has a long history of fighting for the rights of all small business owners, whether it's through group purchasing programs for health care, workers' compensation, or energy, advocating for specific changes in legislation or regulation to benefit small business, or providing a forum and resource for small businesses to connect with and learn from each other. (www.cose.org)

SOURCE Council of Smaller Enterprises