Lowell, Vermont — How very Vermont. Business. In a barn.

#BarnPitch2016 is the eighth stop of the 3rd Annual freshTracks Capital Road Pitch. #RoadPitch sends “business bikers” on a five-day motorcycle trip around Vermont where they will hold “office hours” in select towns stopping by appointment to listen to business “pitches” from start-up or early-stage companies. At each of the 10 stops the riders will award a “Riders Choice Prize” of $500 and a special edition “Vermont Biker Bear” contributed by Vermont Teddy Bear. Each stop is open to public viewing. (Watch a 7min video of Road Pitch 2015 featuring BarnPitch)

New this year is a final statewide “Pitch-Off” event that will be held the evening of October 8th sponsored by and held at Champlain College. The Riders Choice winners from around the state will be invited to pitch for a grand prize of $4,000 and a year’s worth of mentoring from the Road Pitch Riders.

“We know that Vermont is rich in unique entrepreneurs and we want to help them,” said Cairn Cross, #RoadPitch founder and Co-Founder of freshTracks Capital. “This is a great way for entrepreneurs to establish their brand, idea, credentials, and reputation in Vermont.”

“NEKTI Consulting is bringing together some of the area’s entrepreneurs in a way that gives them the opportunity to share their plans, to enhance their business performance, create jobs and improve their communities,” said Steven L Mason, COO, NEKTI Consulting. “This event also gives us a chance to promote Vermont as an excellent motorcycle-touring destination.”

A sampling of the expertise that Road Pitch “business bikers” bring to #BarnPitch2016 include: Co-Founder of FreshTracks Capital, Consultant/Photographer/Entrepreneur, CEO Burlington Bytes, Software Development and Photography, Director of BYOBiz Program/Champlain College, Enterprise Turn-Around Specialist, Social Media Director Vermont Teddy Bear, Co-Founder Social Sentinel, Co-Founder Venture.co, Granite State Investment Advisors, Owner of Clute Financial, Professor at Stiller School of Business at Champlain College, Founder Dynapower, COO April Cornell, Owner Dirty Old Biker, Business Advisor VT Small Business Development Center, Owner Mondo Media Works, Retired SVP LGC Standards, Consultant Entrepreneur, Co-Founder Champlain Mini Makers Faire, Secretary Vermont Agency of Transportation, Attorney/Dinse Knapp and McAndrew, CEO Semiprobe, Portfolio Manager and Financial Advisor and Founder of Small Dog Electronics.

Participants delivering their seven-minute pitch to these business experts at #BarnPitch2016 include: Tara Lynn, Sumptuous Syrups, Maple Hill, New England Wireless, and The Hive.

Joining Community National Bank are 10 partners who are Hayloft Sponsors: NVDA(Northeastern Vermont Development Association), The Flexible Capital Fund, Vermont Agency for Agriculture, Food & Markets, North Country Career Center,FairPoint Communications, Jay Area Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Department of Labor, Green Mountain Power, VTrans, The Center for an Agricultural Economy, and Insuring Vermont. Another partner, The Art of the Carve, a Lowell-based business, will contribute a chainsaw sculpture for the ‘2016 BarnPitch People’s Choice Award’, the famous Cajun’s Snack Bar, in Lowell, will cater the reception, and Sanville Sound Systems will provide their famous custom-made “Birdhouse” speakers for the best sound in the barn. Opportunities Credit Union is the sponsor of the reception.

“Opportunities Credit Union (OCU) has a long track record of supporting Vermont’s entrepreneurs through affordable Small Business Loans and support for programs and events,” stated Greg Huysman, OCU’s Senior Business Development Manager. “#BarnPitch2016 is the perfect fit for OCU’s community development efforts to increase exposure and access to capital for Vermont’s small and growing businesses.”

The tour runs from Monday, August. 1st through August 5th with stops in Essex Junction, Rutland, Bennington, Brattleboro, Barre, Randolph, St. Johnsbury, Lowell, Hyde Park and North Hero.

“We know that Vermont is rich in unique entrepreneurs and we want to help them,” said Cross. “This is a great way for entrepreneurs to establish their brand, idea, credentials, and reputation in Vermont.”

#BarnPitch2016 takes place on Thursday, August 4th from 2p – 4p, at Kingdom Commons, in Lowell, Vermont.

Northeast Kingdom Tamarack, Inc. (NEKTI Consulting) helps local business scale to the Global Marketplace. Whether starting up, expanding or enhancing your business, NEKTI Consulting specializes in catalyzing your business ideas, collaborating with partners to grow your business and connecting the dots through strategic navigation of regulations.

For more information contact NEKTI at 802-744-6600 or Steve@KingdomCommons.com or Trish@KingdomCommons.com.