Raider Cup 2026: April 21st
The Raider Cup is a pitch competition for students at Central Lakes College, hosted by the North Central Small Business Development Center. The purpose of the competition is to highlight the innovative ideas of our students and provide them with the opportunity to work with professionals to turn their ideas from concepts to full recorded pitches. Up to 10 students will be selected to compete in the Raider Cup.
Raider Cup Prizes:
- First Place: The Raider Cup and a $500 Visa Gift Card
- Second Place: $250 Visa Gift Card
- he other 8 participants will receive a $50 Visa Gift Card
Here's how it works...
Current CLC students can submit their ideas using this form now until January 30, 2026. On February 2nd, students will be notified if they are selected to participate in the competition. No more than 10 students will be selected.
The selected students will then work with one-on-one with a North Central SBDC Consultant to develop their pitch. They will then have a 2-hour session with a videographer at the end of the March to film their pitch, which will be shown at the live competition.
The live Raider Cup Competition will be held on April 21st at Noon in the Chalberg Theater. At the competition, each student will show their recorded pitch to a panel of 3 judges and a live audience. The winner of the Raider Cup will be selected at the end of the event.
Participating students will get to keep a copy of their recorded pitch for personal and professional use.
Questions? Contact Katie Heppner, Regional Director of the North Central Small Business Development Center at 218-855-8145, by email at katherine.heppner@clcmn.edu, or stop by her office E212 on the Brainerd Campus near the Hub.
