June 18, 2026

St. Johns, AZ

All residents/businesses in Apache County are invited to participate.

Congrats to our St. Johns Winners!

  • Two men standing in a room holding an oversized check for $1,000, with a presentation screen behind them displaying logo sponsors, and a banner with event details. The man on the left is smiling, wearing glasses, a light-colored shirt, and dark pants. The man on the right is smiling, wearing a white shirt and dark pants.

    Elizabeth Kennedy

    Vicious Horse Coffee

    First Place Winner

    Vicious Horse Coffee, Apache County’s first localized specialty beverage manufacturing business.Like many small businesses, we started at home. To date, we have roasted and sold 2,500 pounds of coffee, generating over $78,000 in revenue with an exceptional 60% profit margin.The problem we solve is simple: rural communities lack access to truly fresh-roasted specialty coffee. Most store-bought options are shipped long distances and sit on shelves for months, losing peak flavor. Meanwhile, rural residents want to support local makers.Vicious Horse Coffee disrupts this traditional supply chain by replacing distant corporate suppliers with a hyper-local micro-manufacturing model. We roast small-batch specialty coffee and deliver it directly to customers at peak freshness. Our scalable revenue model combines direct-to-consumer delivery, statewide online subscriptions, and high-volume commercial wholesale partnerships.Our next milestone is transitioning into a dedicated commercial facility in town to triple production capacity, create stable rural jobs, and establish a recognizable Arizona brand. Winning the $1,200 first-place prize will immediately fund commercial packaging equipment and a local launch campaign.

  • Three individuals stand together, with one holding an oversized check, at the Moonshot Rural Arizona Pitch Competition 2023 event, in front of a promotional banner and a presentation screen displaying sponsor logos.

    Joella and John Younkin

    Round Valley Farmstand & Market Trail

    Second Place

    Our goal is to build Round Valley Farmstand & Market Trail, located at the foot of the White Mountains of AZ: Eagar, “Where Roads Hit the Trails” & Springerville “Gateway to the White Mountains” & surrounding rural area. We desire to support & network with home based businesses that sell direct to their customers & create a map (trail) locals & tourists (customers) can use to create a shopping experience. Customers can explore our trail via car, SUV, truck, ATV & bikes.

    Our goal is to support: farmers, ranchers, gardeners, cottage food producers, mobile food trailers, crafters, artists & nonprofits.

    No one is doing what we are proposing (that we are aware of). Our BIGGEST obstacle is to get people to operate legally. This will require training which will lead to building local commerce. Our 2nd obstacle is creating our trail map.

Our local St. Johns 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!

Seal of Apache County, Arizona featuring a steer head and mountains.
SRP logo with the slogan "Delivering water and power."
Logo of Triple Oak with the words 'Triple Oak,' 'Clean,' 'Power' and an emblem of three oak trees.
TEP logo with blue letters and a yellow swoosh design.
Logo of Apex Clean Energy with a blue circular design and text

Hey St. Johns area risk takers, business leaders, & 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 7th Annual Rural Arizona Pitch Competition for entrepreneurs and business owners (aka, a showcase like you see on ABC's Shark Tank)!

This year’s focus is on INNOVATION. We'll be taking the tour to 20 different cities/counties throughout rural Arizona. Participants with innovative business/product/service ideas or existing businesses they want to grow will compete for the chance to win local tour stop prize money and more! But that’s not all. In October 2026, each tour stop winner will travel to the Greater Phoenix area to compete for the state title and $10,000 in cash, $5,000 in cash for "Crowd Favorite”, and additional cash prizes! Winners from each tour stop will receive two complimentary tickets to the finals event and hotel stay. More finals event details to come!

But that’s not all! ALL competitors who participate in a tour stop competition will automatically receive a Moonshot membership valued at $5,500 (annually)! Moonshot members receive mentorship, educational programs, and access to investors and funding opportunities.

HOW TO APPLY TO COMPETE:

This competition has passed.

JUNE 18, 2026
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

LOCATION

St Johns City Hall is 70 E Commercial, St Johns.

SCHEDULE

9:00 AM: Welcome + Pitch Worksheet Workshop

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Pitch Practice

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

* Schedule is subject to change depending on the number of participants who attend.

PRIZE MONEY
1st Place: $1200 via APEX Clean Energy

2nd Place: $900 via Triple Oak Energy

3rd Place: $600 via Tucson Electric Power

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Download this What to Expect guide.

  • 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.