Local entrepreneurs showcased in Pitch Day competition at San Jac

PASADENA, Texas – After weeks of refining ideas, building business plans, and sharpening their presentations, aspiring entrepreneurs from across the East Harris County region are ready to take the stage.

On Tuesday, April 28, San Jacinto College's Center for Entrepreneurship will host Pitch Day – a live business pitch competition where local entrepreneurs will present their ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win cash prizes totaling $4,750, including an Audience Choice award of $750.

Eight competitors are expected to take the stage to deliver 5- to 7-minute pitches to a panel Small Business Development Center and Chase Bank representatives, and San Jacinto College faculty.

"These finalists have worked incredibly hard. They've studied their finances, talked to lenders, built their operations plans, and refined their message," said Patricia Wells, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at San Jacinto College. "Pitch Day is their moment to shine. We want the community to come out and witness what's possible when people invest in their own ideas."

Pitch Day marks the culmination of The Pitch Lab Series 2026, a multi-week program created by San Jacinto College’s Center for Entrepreneurship to help aspiring entrepreneurs strengthen and prepare their business ideas for competition. Throughout the series, participants engaged in focused sessions on financial literacy, access to capital, business operations, and pitch strategy to build more confident, well-rounded presentations.

“Pitch Day is more than a competition it is a celebration of growth, vision, and possibility,” Wells said. “It gives participants a platform to share what they have built and allows the community to witness the power of entrepreneurship in action.”

Event Details

What:

2026 Center for Entrepreneurship Pitch Day Competition

When:

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Where:

North Campus, San Jacinto College, Pasadena, Texas

Admission:

Free and open to the public

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About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than 1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.