A huge percentage of last year’s ConnectingOHIO: Golf Classic pairings led to follow-up meetings within 30 days. Want that deal pipeline? Tee off with buyers on Aug 4 at Foxfire in Columbus. Decision makers in every foursome. Only 3 spots left! Jul 25 Deadline→ zurl.co/8B53t #connectingOhio #TeeOff

🎤 Got a winning pitch? Join our "Shark Tank" style Pitch Competition on Aug 5. Refine your business ideas and meet new potential customers+prizes & feedback from industry judges!
Apply today with your 90 second pitch filmed on your phone - zurl.co/cvEMw
#BigIdea #PitchCompetition #ConnectingOHIO

FINAL CALL ⏰ ConnectingOHIO: August 4 Golf Classic! Registration closes this Friday (7/25). Start your August with a warm welcome, end with a cool drink at the Welcome Dinner, and spend the in-between on the fairway with future partners. Last chance → zurl.co/8B53t #ConnectingOHIO

🚀 Minority‑owned biz in Ohio: your 90‑sec video could land you on the #ConnectingOHIO stage!

🏆 $1K + championship belt
🥈 $500 runner‑up
🎤 Pitch live Aug 5 before 300+ buyers, customers, & investors
⏳ Easy to apply by Jul 25 → zurl.co/LMQ4h

Tag a leader who should shoot their shot! #BigIdea

🚀 Ohio innovators—your big break starts Aug 5 at #ConnectingOHIO!

Pitch your idea (90‑sec video) for:
🥇 $1,000 + belt + 2 Gala tix
🥈 $500 + Gala tix
🎟 Finalists: free Expo + 300+ buyer audience & mentoring.

Deadline Jul 25 → zurl.co/DEoDY
Tag a business leader who should apply! #BigIdea #Ohio

🐾 Swap conference halls for safari vibes!
Aug 4 @ 6 PM → ConnectingOHIO Welcome Dinner @ Columbus Zoo

• Keynote: Luke Fedlam - zurl.co/ZB65W
• Buyers, MBEs & partners mixing over dinner
• Feed giraffes 🦒

Full Expo Pass or $150 à la carte—few seats left.
Register: zurl.co/MsuLk #ConnectingOHIO

💡 Big ideas need capital & courage.
Hear from Kala Gibson—EVP at Fifth Third & NMSDC Chair—on Day 2 of #ConnectingOHIO (Aug 5).

Finance✔ Partnerships✔ Growth✔ Real impact✔

Don’t miss this keynote.
🔗 Register now = zurl.co/wRT0L

#MBEs #SupplierDiversity #Leadership

Every biz has a defining moment.
This one comes with a stage. 🏆

Pitch your Big Idea (new product, new tech, new efficiency) at #ConnectingOHIO—gain exposure, mentorship - and potential customers.

Apps close July 23.
Finalists pitch live Aug 5.

🔗 zurl.co/gOH50

#BigIdea #MBEs #Innovation #Growth

🐾 Swap conference halls for safari vibes!
Aug 4 @ 6 PM → ConnectingOHIO Welcome Dinner @ Columbus Zoo

• Keynote: Luke Fedlam - zurl.co/ZB65W
• Buyers, MBEs & partners mixing over dinner
• Feed giraffes 🦒

Full Expo Pass or $150 à la carte—few seats left.
Register: zurl.co/MsuLk #ConnectingOHIO

Big Idea at ConnectingOHIO Application Turn your boldest concept into your next growth engine! The Big Idea Competition showcases five certified MBEs with breakthrough products, services, business models—or simply smart process improvements. Complete this form and link a 90-second video pitch (focus on content, not production—your phone cam is fine). Finalists will pitch live on August 5 at ConnectingOHIO in Columbus before buyers, investors, and community partners. Deadline: 11:59 PM ET • Wednesday, July 23 Questions? Email Jamie Van Doren – jvandoren@OhioMSDC.org Why enter? Stage time – pitch on the expo floor in front of 300+ corporate and public-sector decision-makers. Championship belt + bragging rights – stand out as the MBE to watch in 2025. Mentor circle – winners receive post-event strategy sessions with experts in finance, marketing, supply-chain, and IP law. Pipeline boost – past pitch competition finalists have landed pilots, distribution deals, and new corporate introductions within weeks. What we’re looking for Not just brand-new businesses – a new initiative/product, efficiency play, or market pivot qualifies. A clear need or growth/efficiency opportunity—and a compelling solution. Realistic revenue or cost-saving potential and timeline. Defined resources required to scale. A team—large or small—that can execute. Up to five finalists will be chosen from all complete submissions. Finalists must pitch in person at ConnectingOHIO in Columbus to remain eligible for awards. Good luck—we can’t wait to hear your Big Idea!

💡 Minority Business Leaders: have a breakthrough idea? Pitch it at ConnectingOHIO’s Big Idea Competition.

• 90-sec pitch video by July 23
• Finalists pitch live Aug 5, Columbus
• The chance to win big

Apply now → zurl.co/aXE4L — or grab an Expo badge to watch! #BigIdea #ConnectingOHIO

⛳ New contracts don’t just happen—they’re teed up. ⛳

Kick off #ConnectingOHIO at the Golf Classic, Mon Aug 4, The Players Club at Foxfire (Columbus, OH).

✔ Breakfast, lunch & prizes
✔ Welcome Dinner that night
⚠️ Only 6 foursomes left—grab yours now!

Register Today → zurl.co/8B53t

Grabbed your pass for #ConnectingOHIO (Aug 4-6)?

📢 On Aug 5 @ 9:30 AM, Fifth Third EVP Kala Gibson breaks down how inclusive supply chains turn goals into real growth—and where the funding lives in Ohio.

Stick around for the #BigIdea pitch, break-out sessions, and more.

🎟️ Register: zurl.co/h6gyh