June 19, 2025
St. Johns, AZ
All residents/businesses in Apache County are invited to participate.
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 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 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!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, June 19, 2025
10:30am - Welcome and Pitch Workshop
11:00am - 2pm - Pitch Practice
Lunch provided by Apache County
2:00pm - Final Pitch Competition Starts
3:00pm - Judge Deliberations
3:30pm - Special Thanks to Local Sponsors + Announcement of Winners
4:00pm - Wrap Up
Location:
Apache County Library
30 S 2nd W, Saint Johns, AZ 85936
Prize Money:
Many thanks to the local sponsors listed above for providing prize money for the top three winners.
1st place - $1,000 - Sponsored by TEP
2nd place -$750 - Sponsored by SRP
3rd place - $500 – Sponsored by Summit Healthcare
The first place winner of the 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
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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.
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Check out our Participant Resources page.
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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
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See examples of past pitch presentations here.
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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.