One-on-One Appointments – Practice Your Pitch

Sign up for a timeslot HERE. Note: all the 11am-1pm time slots are in-person, in SEO 918. Email Cody Cranch (ccranc2@uic.edu) if you have questions.

Blaze Venture finalists and runner-ups can schedule a group / one-on-one appointment with Professor Cody Cranch, the public speaking coach for Computer Science and "Break Through Tech" (an internship placement program). Why schedule an appointment with Cody? Well, all contestants have made a video, but will now compete live -- to win prizes! -- in front of the judges panel and a voting audience! Therefore, take this final opportunity to get ready with an experienced coach, practice out loud, receive last-minute feedback, and boost your overall confidence.

How do you prepare for an appointment? First, decide where you / the group needs the most help; options include (a) organizing and designing slides, (b) meeting competition criteria, (c) presenting quickly and clearly, or (d) answering judges' tough questions. Next, sign up using the link above; appointments are 20 minutes, either over Zoom or in-person. Finally, meet with Cody to work on your preferred option! Note: coaching is *not* required for Blaze Venture participants; however, if you choose to sign up, then please respect Cody's time and other groups who want help, too, by actually attending. Do not ghost on your scheduled appointment, or cancel at the last minute.

This installation of the UIC Innovation Spark Series workshops is open to students and faculty. The Spark Series is a dynamic slate of programming designed to help student entrepreneurs explore and grow their entrepreneurial ideas.  Students access the best of the Chicago Innovation ecosystem through faculty-led workshops, an annual Demo Day and Pitch Challenge, and access to off-campus programming through 1871, MATTER, and mHUB. *While it is beneficial for students to participate in these events, participation is not required to enter the Blaze Venture Challenge.