Forbes And Bad Bunny Team Up For Historic $300,000 Prize Under 30 Pitch Competition

Calling all Latinx founders: Forbes and Bad Bunny are searching for top entrepreneurs to compete for a life-changing grant at the legendary Forbes Under 30 Summit on October 9 in Cleveland, OH.

Wanted: The top young Latinx leaders and founders looking to grow their business.

At this year’s Forbes Under 30 Summit in Cleveland, Ohio, up to five promising, young Latinx entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses to some of the brightest Latinx minds of today, including Puerto Rican, Grammy-winning singer Bad Bunny. After highlighting young changemakers on the 30 Under 30 list for more than a decade, this pitch competition is the opportunity to highlight bold, innovative and promising Latinx founders.

The winner will receive a $300,000 prize, including a $100,000 cash prize from Bad Bunny himself.

Do you know someone reinventing the worlds of tech, business, art & culture, food, retail, entertainment and impact? Nominate them (or yourself!) today. You can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions below.

NOMINATION GUIDELINES

• Nominees must identify as Latinx or Hispanic and be 29 or younger as of October 9th, 2023.

• Nominees must reside in or have their businesses based in the United States.

• Nominees must be able to present a 3-5 minute pitch on their company in English.

• 30 Under 30 alumni are eligible to apply as long as they meet the age and demographic qualifications listed above.

• The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. ET on September 15, 2023.

• To select finalists for the pitching competition, Forbes writers and editors will comb through the online applications, and may tap industry sources and list alumni to verify and assess candidates. Finalists will be picked from our pool of candidates on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) funding, revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness and potential.

Disclosure: Race or Ethnic Origin, Immigration Status, and Criminal History may be considered sensitive under certain US state privacy laws. By providing this information to Forbes and hitting the submit button below, you hereby consent to Forbes processing such information to determine eligibility for this competition and as otherwise necessary to run this competition.

MEET THE JUDGES

The Puerto Rican singer will be gifting a $100,000 cash prize to one Latinx founder at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Cleveland, Ohio.

Eric Rojas

Bad Bunny

^Musician

The Puerto Rican rapper is best known for combining reggaeton (a mix of Caribbean reggae and mainland rap) with Latin trap (a hip-hop subgenre with roots in the southern U.S.). He has propelled a newfound interest in Latin American music by mainstream audiences, as his music received 18.5 billion Spotify streams in 2022. His music, movie appearances in Bullet Train and Cassandro, and endorsements with the likes of Adidas, Corona and Cheetos landed him on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Entertainers list this year, earning $88 million in 2022 by Forbes estimates.

Arturo Elizondo

^{Cofounder and CEO, EVERY}

While working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Elizondo became impatient with the elephant in the room—how to make food more sustainable—and split to find a solution fast.

The EVERY Co.

Arturo Elizondo’s EVERY has found a way to develop animal-free proteins that are cheaper and greener than the eggs they’re seeking to replace. Their fermentation technology, which converts sugar into egg proteins the same way brewers make beer, landed the company and its cofounder on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Science list in 2020. Since then, it has raised over $230 million from investors like Anne Hathaway, Ingredion and Temasek. Elizondo grew up living on both sides of the U.S-Mexico border, and worked in government before starting EVERY.

Jomayra Herrera

^{Partner, Reach Capital}

Herrera focuses her investment on companies that help workers take agency over their careers.

Damian Marhefka

Jomayra Herrera is a partner at Reach Capital, an early stage venture capital firm which recently raised $215 million for its fourth fund. There, she invests in startups focused on education technology and the future of work. She’s led investments into companies like Guild Education, Handshake and Career Karma. She also sits on the board of Latinx VC, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the amount of Latinos in venture capital.

Camila Tellez

^{Founder, Parade}

The daughter of Colombian immigrants, Tellez dropped out of Columbia to start the underwear company.

Mamadi Doumbouya/The Forbes Collection

The Under 30 alum revolutionized the intimates industry when she launched Parade in 2018, offering fun, colorful underwear in inclusive sizes that was not focused on sex appeal. Under her reign, the brand grew to $70 million in sales in 2022. The sustainable pieces, which are made of 80% to 95% recycled materials, are a key draw to its over 500,000 customers. In August, Parade was acquired by Miami Beach-based intimates company Ariela & Associate International, which also owns Fruit of the Loom.

FAQs

Who can apply?

• Founders who identify as Latinx or Hispanic and are under the age of 30 by October 9, 2023. That means you must be born on or after October 10, 1993.

When is the application due?

• Friday, September 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

What is the prize?

• The winner of the pitching competition will receive a $300,000 prize from Forbes and Bad Bunny himself, which include:

• A $100,000 cash prize from Bad Bunny

• A $200,000 media and advertising grant from Forbes

Do you have to have made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list to apply?

• No, you don’t have to have made a Forbes 30 Under 30 list before to apply. However, listers are eligible to apply as long as they are still under 30 and meet the age and demographic criteria above.

How will I know if I’m a finalist?

• Finalists will be contacted by Forbes staff by 11:59 p.m. ET on September 20.

When and where is the pitching competition taking place?

• The pitching competition will take place in-person during the Under 30 Summit on Monday, October 9, 2023 at the Main Stage of the Cleveland Public Auditorium at 4 p.m.

Will it be livestreamed?

• Yes, this will be part of the Under 30 live stream.

If you have any other questions please reach out to Maria Gracia Santillana at mgsantillana-linares@forbes.com