Please join us on Thursday, December 4, at 9:00 am CST for the Defy Illinois Business Pitch Competition & Graduation at the Logan Correctional Center!

What's it all about?

Business pitch competition and graduations are the culminating events for Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) as they complete Defy's rigorous CEO of Your New Life program. During these events, EITs present their business ideas in several rounds of a Shark Tank-style competition to panels of volunteer judges. Judges ask clarifying questions, provide feedback to strengthen the business concepts and pitches, and evaluate the overall presentations with their fellow judges to select competition winners. The event also includes icebreaker and empathy-building exercises designed to create an inclusive and accepting community. At the end of the day, five winning pitches are selected from the group in an awards ceremony, followed by a cap and gown graduation ceremony in which EITs are awarded a Certificate of Entrepreneurship issued by the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

Please reach out to Melissa (melissa@defyventures.org) with any questions, and we'll see you soon!

Details

• Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
• Time: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm CST
• Location: Logan Correctional Center - Lincoln, IL
• Transportation: The prison is 175 miles and approximately 3 hrs from Chicago, IL
  • Defy Bus - Departing from Downtown Chicago @ 6 am
  • Drive Self - Arrive at Prison @ 8:45 am
• Sign Up & Clearance Paperwork Deadline: Monday, November 3, 2025