At Marietta College, these questions aren’t just “what ifs.” They’re where your story begins.
Through Landmark Experiences like PioBiz—built on Initiative, Inquiry, and Impact—you’ll be encouraged to explore ideas, take risks, and learn by doing. PioBiz brings these skills to life, giving you the opportunity to transform your questions into real-world solutions.
PioBiz is Marietta College’s business start-up competition, designed to help you move from idea to execution. Whether you’re dreaming up a for-profit venture or a nonprofit that serves others, PioBiz provides the structure, support, and encouragement to help you grow.
How It Works
PioBiz is a three-round competition:
- Problem/Solution – Define the challenge and your idea
- Proof of Concept – Test and strengthen your solution
- Business Plan – Build a plan to bring your idea to life
Marietta College students and recent alumni can compete individually or in small teams in all three rounds of competition. The final round (Business Plan Competition) also is open to the members of the community who live and/or work within 100 miles of Marietta, Ohio.
Who It’s For
PioBiz is designed for bold thinkers with new or early-stage ideas—whether you’re just getting started or already testing your concept. It’s open to:
- Marietta College students (Rounds 1 & 2)
- Regional participants—including college students and community members—in the final Business Plan, Round 3
What You’ll Gain
When you participate in PioBiz, you’ll:
- Develop your idea in a supportive, hands-on environment
- Build entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills
- Receive feedback from experienced judges and mentors
- Compete for cash awards to help launch your idea
Your Ideas Matter Here
At Marietta, learning happens far beyond the classroom. You might conduct research, collaborate with community partners—or pitch your own startup idea and bring it to life through PioBiz.
Because here, your questions matter. Your ideas matter. And with the right support, they can become something more.
So…what will you create?
Participation Guides
What types of ideas qualify for the competition?
PioBiz is designed for new and early-stage business ideas, including both for-profit and nonprofit ventures. Eligible ventures must meet the following startup guidelines:
- The business must be in the idea stage, development stage, or early startup stage.
- If the business has already launched, it must be less than three years old.
- If the business has generated revenue, it must have generated less than $50,000 in total revenue to date. Note: revenue means total sales or income generated by the business, not profit.
- Franchise businesses, the purchase of an existing business, and business ideas primarily based on reselling an established company’s products or services are not eligible.
Business ideas must be appropriate for a college-sponsored competition.
Do you have to participate and win in the previous round of the competition to compete in the next round?
No. However, the experience that you gain and the feedback that you receive from participating in the previous round of the competition definitely increases your chances of winning in the next round of the competition.
What are PioBiz information sessions?
To prepare you for the competition and increase your probability of success, we encourage (but do not require) you to participate in information sessions before each round of competition.
Participating in PioBiz information sessions increases your chances of winning an award by:
- assisting you in identifying marketable business ideas,
- providing you with the opportunity to meet your potential business partners,
- familiarizing you with simple templates that guide you through your thought and planning processes,
- briefing you on a variety of methods to test the validity and feasibility of your proposed goods or services,
- informing you about resources that the Entrepreneurship Program makes available to you,
- walking you through the components of the application form and presentation slides.
Also, if you are pursuing a specialty, minor, or major in Entrepreneurship, you may count participating in the PioBiz information sessions toward the required hours of out-of-class entrepreneurial activities.
For more information: entr@marietta.edu
Three Rounds. One Big Win.
Do You Have What It Takes to Conquer PioBiz?
Read about what is required in each round and find tips to help you succeed.
- PioBiz Round 1: Problem/Solution
Round 1 of the PioBiz Competition consists of identifying a problem that is worth solving and describing your solution (your idea, product/service). On the day of the competition, be prepared to pitch your idea and answer the judges’ questions. The competition judges will jointly determine the winners in Round 1 of the PioBiz Competition.
Dates / Times / Locations
Round 1
INFORMATION SESSIONApplication
DeadlineCompetition
Day- DATE: TBD
- TIME: TBD
- LOCATION: TBD
- Registration link will be added when it opens
- DATE: TBD
- TIME: TBD
- Application will be added when it opens
- DATE: TBD
- TIME: TBD
- LOCATION: TBD
Competition Format
- 5-minute presentation followed by 5-minute Q&A with judges.
Awards
- Top five business ideas win $120 to $200 each
- Note: Only the leaders of the winning teams will directly receive the award money
Slide Submission
You are required to submit your presentation/pitch slides a couple of days before the competition day. The suggested slide breakdown:
- Title Slide: Project name + team members
- Problem: What issue are you solving?
- Solution: What’s your idea or product/service?
- Target Audience / Impact: Who benefits, and how?
- How It Works / Key Features: Brief explanation
- Unique Value Proposition: What makes your solution stand out?
- Evidence / Validation: Why it matters, and how you know
- AI Usage: How did you use AI and why?
- Action Plan: What's next or what do you need?
Questions
Email Dr. Jacqueline Khorassani at khorassj@marietta.edu
- PioBiz Round 2: Proof of Concept
In this round of the PioBiz Competition, participants must provide compelling evidence that their proposed product or service is desirable, feasible, and viable. Here's how you can showcase each dimension:
- Desirability: Demonstrate that there is a genuine need for your product or service by conducting thorough primary and secondary research to identify and validate market demand.
- Feasibility: Present a clear and actionable production and distribution plan, showcasing how your product or service can realistically be developed and delivered to your target audience. To strengthen your case, you can also create and present a prototype that illustrates the functionality and practicality of your idea.
- Viability: Highlight the financial sustainability of your idea by accurately identifying and explaining the key sources of costs and revenue, ensuring a credible path to profitability.
Dates / Times / Locations
ROUND 2
INFORMATION SESSIONApplication
DeadlineCompetition
Day- DATE: TBD
- TIME: TBD
- LOCATION: TBD
- Registration link will be added when it opens
- DATE: TBD
- TIME: TBD
- Application will be added when it opens
- DATE: TBD
- TIME: TBD
- LOCATION: TBD
Competition Format
- 7-minute pitch followed by a 5-minute Q&A with judges
Awards
- The top three pitches, as determined by the judges, will receive prizes of $400, $300, and $200. In addition, the audience favorite will win $150
Key presentation components- Problem Statement: Provide a clear and concise description of the problem your product or service aims to solve.
- Customer Segment: Identify who experiences this problem. Define the characteristics of your target customers, including demographics, behaviors, and preferences.
- Solution: Clearly describe your product or service and how it addresses the identified problem.
- Proof of Need:
- Share the results of secondary research to demonstrate overall market demand and the potential demand for your specific product or service.
- Report findings from primary research such as surveys, interviews, or focus groups that validate the problem and the need for your solution.
- Existing Alternatives: Analyze how your target customers currently address the problem. Describe competing products or services, focusing on their nature, availability, and pricing.
- Unique Value Proposition: Highlight what sets your product or service apart. Explain why your solution is superior to alternatives and why customers will choose it.
- Prototype and Experimentation: Present a prototype or mockup of your product/service, if available. Discuss the outcomes of any experiments or tests conducted to validate your assumptions and refine your offering.
- Key Resources: Outline the critical resources (e.g., human, financial, technological) you already possess and those required to launch or scale your product or service.
- Cost Structure: Break down the key fixed and variable costs associated with developing, producing, and delivering your product or service.
- Revenue Stream: Describe how you intend to generate revenue, including pricing models and potential revenue sources.
- Road Map and Next Steps: Provide a timeline that outlines your planned actions, milestones, and key objectives moving forward.
You may include a variety of visual aids such as tables, graphs, charts, prototypes, and pictures in your pitch presentation.
Presentation Components
- PioBiz Round 3: Business Plan
Round 3 of the PioBiz Competition gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to present a developed business plan to a panel of judges and compete for funding to help launch or grow their ventures.
This year, Round 3 will be a regional startup business plan competition open to Marietta College students, alumni, students from other higher education institutions, and community members who live, study, work, operate a business, or plan to launch a business within approximately 100 miles of Marietta, Ohio.
Dates / Times / LocationsROUND 3
INFORMATION SESSIONTo help you prepare, two in-person information sessions will be offered on the Marietta College campus
Application
DeadlineTo apply, complete the online application form and submit a business plan
Competition
Day- DATES: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
- OR Thursday, October 15, 2026
- TIME: 7-9 p.m.
- LOCATION: TBD
- DATE: October 25, 2026
- Applicants must submit a business plan in PDF format (see instructions below)
- DATE: Monday, November 16, 2026
- TIME: TBD
- LOCATION: Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio
Awards
A total of $12,000 in prize funding is available for Round 3.
The prize structure includes:
- Top Prize: $10,000*
- Most Effective Presentation: $500
- Most Likely to Succeed: $500
- Most Innovative Idea: $500
- Audience Choice: $500
* Distribution of the $10,000 Award: The $10,000 award will be distributed over a period of up to three years following the competition date. Award payments will be contingent upon the winner's (or winners') demonstrated progress in implementing the business plan. Progress will be reviewed periodically in consultation with the competition judges. If, in the judgment of the competition judges, sufficient progress has not been made within three years, any remaining funds may be reallocated to future PioBiz competitions or entrepreneurship initiatives.
Award SponsorsWe are grateful to the following sponsors for their generous support of this round of the PioBiz Competition:
- Douglas Greene ’62: $1,000
- Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI): $1,250
- The Ross Foundation: $3,000
- Peoples Bank: $6,750
Preparing Your Business PlanApplicants must submit a business plan as a PDF document.
- Email business plans to entr@marietta.edu with the subject line: PioBiz Business Plan – [Team Lead's Last Name]
- Applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their business plan
- Important: Applications will not be considered complete until both the online application form and business plan have been received.
Applicants are encouraged to use the SCORE Business Plan Template as a guide
Business plans do not need to follow the template exactly. However, they should address the following topics:
- Executive Summary
- Company Description
- Products and Services
- Marketing Plan
- Operational Plan
- Management and Organization
- Startup Expenses
- 12-Month Financial Plan
Presentation GuidelinesSelected competitors will present their business plans to a panel of judges.
- Presentation: Up to 15 minutes
- Question-and-Answer Session with Judges: Up to 15 minutes
Presentations should clearly explain:
- The problem or opportunity being addressed
- The product or service and the value it provides
- The target market and marketing strategy
- The operational plan and revenue model
- The qualifications and roles of key team members
- Startup costs and 12-month financial projections
- How the $10,000 award would be used to advance the business
- The timeline for implementing and growing the venture
Judges will evaluate the quality of the business concept, market opportunity, feasibility of the plan, financial viability, presentation effectiveness, and the team's ability to respond to questions.
