On the evening of Nov. 6, sixteen budding Cal State San Bernardino student entrepreneurs each pitched their business proposals at the 2017 Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition, presented by the CSUSB Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE), at the Esri Conference Center in Redlands.

Of the 16 semi-finalist competitors, five finalists have been chosen to pitch their business ideas for the chance to win part of the $7,000 in cash prizes at the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards Gala on Nov. 14, in front of a live audience of more than 800 top business professionals. The gala will be held at the Riverside Convention Center, 3637 Fifth St., in Riverside.

The five finalists are: Lesley Gamby, Mai Tamraz, Brandon Bachman, Lisa Tucker and Henessey Soto.

During the Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition, each semi-finalist had 90 seconds to make their business pitch to jump-start their entrepreneurial dreams by convincing a panel of investors that their proposal has what it takes to succeed.

Each fast pitch was judged for the quality of the presentations and their investment potential. The panel of investors and entrepreneurs offered valuable feedback regarding the viability of the business ventures and the quality of their presentation skills.

Visit the Garner Holt Productions website for more information about the company.

Also visit the CSUSB Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship website for more information about its programs.