Joni Cobb has designed, written and executed The Innovators (formerly Innovator of the Year) for the past 12 years.
Creating an organization where most of the work happens away from the eyes of funders and communities impacted by this work, required a visible event where people could gather, better understand Pipeline, better communicate the importance of entrepreneurship to the communities, and celebrate and encourage growth. The Innovators (formerly “Innovator of the Year”) was a design to do all of the above – while also shining an incredibly strong light on the region in which we serve.
The design combined daytime “competition” with national judges, orientation of the new class, and meetings among mentors and entrepreneurs. The evening Gala was designed to “wow” a regional and national crowd with professional level production that elevated the hard work and success of our entrepreneurs and programs. More than a “party” – The Innovators became THE place to gather if you were involved in any way with high growth entrepreneurship.
The event has involved both a daytime pitch event and evening awards gala that gathered over 600 entrepreneurs, investors, media, national advocates and family members from across the region and country.
“The most amazing celebration of entrepreneurship I have ever witnessed in all my coaching life!”