June 26, 2025

Lake Havasu, AZ

Congrats to our Lake Havasu Winners!

  • A group of four people, two women and two children, holding a large check for $750 at an event for the Lake Havasu Rural Arizona Pitch Competition 2025. Behind them is a presentation screen with event details and a partial American flag to the right.

    Kate Deparini

    Sunshine Indoor Play

    First Place Winner

    Sunshine Indoor Play is a boutique indoor playground, coffee shop, and retail space designed for families with young children. We offer a safe, welcoming environment where kids can play and parents can relax, connect, and feel supported. What sets us apart is our heart-led model, blending high-quality play, specialty coffee, curated products, and built-in community support. We host parties, offer free resources to families in need, and prioritize authentic connection. With multiple revenue streams, a growing customer base, and strong loyal community, Sunshine is positioned to grow sustainably while meeting real emotional and practical needs for modern families.

  • Two women holding a large ceremonial check for $500, standing in front of a presentation screen at an event. The screen displays logos of local sponsors for the Lake Havasu Rural Arizona Pitch Competition 2025. One woman is wearing glasses and a blue shirt, the other is smiling in a patterned dress.

    Beth Darby

    Stone Castle Security LLC

    Second Place

    Stone Castle Security is dedicated to assisting individuals and businesses build their foundation of self defense and emergency preparedness planning. By innovating ballistic protection into every day items, we provide a prepared response to harmful intent. An example of our work would be a ballistic cover that fits over a chair back to provide cover during an active shooter situation. It can be removed and the individual can wear or hold the protection while evacuating. Any person, school, or business can use our binders, book covers, picture frames, etc. to complement existing policy and procedures.

  • Two women smiling and holding a large check at an indoor event, with a presentation screen displaying 'Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition 2025' behind them. One woman is making a peace sign. The check is for $250.00 made out to Katie Scherne. An American flag is standing nearby.

    Katie Schenone

    Suds and Sunsets Co.

    Third Place

    We were developed with the desire to make simpler, safer products. We make our own soaps! Our products are sustainable, natural, sensitive-skin friendly, and fun and colorful because our #1 goal is to bring happiness. We provide clean, honest products that are good for us and the planet. We want to expand by increasing volume and making laundry detergent. We are among millions of soap makers who care about the ingredients in their products. I can’t say we are much “different”. But, we deeply care about our community. We want to have the safest, most reliable, affordable soap options around

  • Group of six people standing behind a yellow table with flowers and gift boxes, at the Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition 2025 event.

    Fresh Stems

    Nancy Campbell, Jona Silverstein, and Lauren Albrecutt

    Fourth Place

    Fresh Stem Thermalvase Insulated Floral Vase keeping flowers fresher longer

Hey Lake Havasu risk takers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs!

Do you have a “moonshot” business idea or an existing business you’d like to expand? Or maybe you have a product or business idea scribbled down on a napkin  or notebook, but that's as far as you've gotten?!

​If you answered YES to either question above, join us for Moonshot's 6th Annual Rural Arizona Pitch Competition for entrepreneurs and business owners (aka, a showcase like you see on ABC's Shark Tank)!

This year, we'll be taking the tour to 20 different cities/counties throughout rural Arizona. Participants will compete for the chance to win local tour stop prize money and more! But that’s not all. In October 2025, each tour stop winner will travel to beautiful Prescott, Arizona to compete for the state title and $10,000 in cash, $5,000 in cash for "Crowd Favorite”, and several NEW cash prizes! Winners from each tour stop will receive two complimentary tickets to the finals event and a one-night stay at the beautiful Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Prescott, Arizona.  
​
Participation is FREE OF CHARGE, thanks to our title sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Arizona Commerce Authority, and APS, our statewide and regional sponsors, and our local sponsors listed below.

Our local Lake Havasu sponsors make this event possible by hosting a space for the event, helping to get the word out locally, and providing local prize money for winners. We couldn’t do it without them!

BBB logo with torch design symbolizing trust and reliability.
Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce logo featuring a stylized green and blue arrow design above text.
America's SBDC Arizona logo
Mohave Community College logo with tagline 'Improving Lives. Improving Communities.'

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:30am - Welcome and Pitch Workshop


9:30am - 1:30pm - Pitch Practice (Working Lunch around noon)

1:30pm - Final Pitch Competition Starts


2:30pm - Judge Deliberations


3:00pm - Special Thanks to Local Sponsors + Announcement of Winners


Thanks to First Savings Bank and Mudshark Public House — Breakfast and Lunch Sponsors

Location:

Mohave Community College
Room 600
1977 Acoma Blvd W
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403

Prize Money:
Thanks to BBB of the Pacific Southwest for donating $1,500 in prize money to be split among 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

1st Place: $750
2nd Place: $500
3rd Place: 250

The first-place winner of the Lake Havasu event will win a trip to the State Finals in Prescott, AZ and a hotel stay in beautiful downtown Prescott as well as the chance to win the $10,000 grand prize, $5,000 Crowd Favorite and other various prizes at the state finals. Learn more about the finals event here.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Participation in the pitch competition is free of charge. You do not need to have experience as an entrepreneur to compete. You can simply have an idea for a product or service.

    Participants will be taught how to present a business pitch in 5 minutes.

    Each tour stop competition schedule will vary, depending on how many applicants apply. We will expect you attend the full day event, should you apply.

    A sample schedule and sample presentations from past tour stops events will be shared below. We’ll make sure you have as much reference material as possible.

    You do not need to use a slide show (like Powerpoint or Canva) to present your ideas; however, if you’d like to do so, that’s wonderful. Past winners have won local tour stop events without the assistance of slide shows.

    Learn more about what to expect and take a look at past pitch presentations here.

  • Check out individual tour stop pages listed in the menu above or go to our calendar page.

  • Check out our Participant Resources page.

  • The schedule for each tour stop will vary depending on the number of applicants who apply to compete. We’ve broken the sample agendas out below. These are subject to change. This year, we are capping the number of participants in larger tour stops to 20 participants. Applications will be accepted first come, first serve.

    Tour Site A - less than 10 applicants (smaller events/tour stops)

    Agenda A:

    8:30 AM - Welcome + Pitch Worksheet Workshop- Fill out pitch worksheet

    9:30 AM: 1st Pitch Practice Workshop, emphasis on financials and business model

    10:30 or 11:00 AM: 2nd Pitch Practice Workshop, emphasis on legal and branding/marketing

    12:00 or 12:30 PM: Working lunch, pitch deck cleanup

    1:30 or 2:00 PM: Start Pitch Competition

    3:00 or 3:30: Announce Winners

    Tour Site B - 10-12 applicants, 2 rooms

    Agenda B:

    8:30 AM - Welcome + Pitch Worksheet Workshop- Fill out pitch worksheet

    Break applicants into 2 groups

    9:30 AM: GROUP 1- 1st Pitch Practice Workshop, emphasis on financials and business model

    GROUP 2- 1st Pitch Practice Workshop, emphasis on legal and branding/marketing

    10:30 or 11:00 AM - GROUP 1- Pitch Practice Workshop, emphasis on legal and branding/marketing

    GROUP 2- 2nd Pitch Practice Workshop, emphasis on financials and business model

    12:00 or 12:30 PM: Working lunch, pitch deck cleanup

    1:30 or 2:00 PM: Start Pitch Competition

    3:00 or 3:30: Announce Winners

    Tour Site C- 12-20 applicants, 3 rooms

    Agenda C:

    8:30 AM - Welcome + Pitch Worksheet Workshop- Fill out pitch worksheet

    Break applicants into 3 groups

    9:30 AM: GROUP 1- 1st Pitch Practice Workshop

    GROUP 2- 1st Pitch Practice Workshop

    GROUP 3- 1st Pitch Practice Workshop

    10:30 or 11:00 AM - GROUP 1- 2nd Pitch Practice Workshop

    GROUP 2- 2nd Pitch Practice Workshop

    GROUP 3- 2nd Pitch Practice Workshop

    Participants will only attend 2 of 3 practice rounds/ Applicants will be cut down to 8-10 for the finals

    12:00 or 12:30 PM - Working lunch, pitch deck cleanup

    1:30 or 2:00 PM - Start Pitch Competition

    3:00 or 3:30 - Announce Winners

  • See examples of past pitch presentations here.

  • Here’s an example of the pitch worksheet that all participants receive at the beginning of the day. It walks you through how to pitch your idea/business and what elements you need to include.