It's a radio feature like never before, with hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake! Raja, along with Mike Matesic and his team at IdeaFoundry, a Pittsburgh-based business development and support organization, are giving six local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their companies to a trio of real-world venture capitalists, Roger Byford, Mel Pirchesky, and Alicia McGinnis, who will serve as judges.
All this month, "Your American Story" Radio features these back-and-forth dialogues, in which the judges ask the entrepreneurs penetrating questions about their business. But unlike ABC's "Shark Tank" and other similar business-themed "reality" shows, the "Running With the Bulls" judges are not out to play "gotcha", but are instead committed to ensure that the entrepreneurs think through every step of their business plan, in order for everyone to succeed, as the entrepreneur can operate a successful business, and the investors can get a healthy ROI. This is the real deal....REAL entrepreneurs pitching to REAL investors to create REAL jobs in our region.
And not only can you listen to this unfold every week on our show, but you have the opportunity to make YOUR decision as to who gets funding. Go to YourAmericanStory.com for all of the information on the contest. You can meet the judges and the entrepreneurs, hear the pitches, and review the business plans. And, you can vote for the company you like better, as the winner of the online voting will receive $2,500, (and that�?�¢??s BEFORE the judges decide to invest up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital)

Today, we talk with a new pair of entrepreneurs, Paul Sandberg of PHRQL & Colin Huwyler of Optimus Technologies, who pitch their companies to our judges, who fire back with penetrating questions of their own. Then, it's in YOUR hands, as you can go to our website, YourAmericanStory.com, to review Paul and Colin's companies and cast YOUR vote for the better pitch. Plus, you can watch our presenters in action at our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVTXo4iAxl3FZOZ7WuID9ZQ.