Practice Makes Perfect: The William & Mary Stock Pitch Competition
Isabella DiLeo
On April 5th, I went to Williamsburg, Virginia with a team of fellow female finance majors to represent the University of Connecticut at the annual William and Mary Women’s Stock Pitch Competition. The competition was held on April 6th, so we arrived on April 5th at William & Mary with an itinerary that included career presentations from corporate sponsors, a networking cocktail hour with alumni, and a catered dinner with female guest speakers. Teams of women came from all over the country and the world, and we had many opportunities to network among our peers. Each team was given a designated W&M student as a guide throughout the two-day schedule of events and a meeting room to practice our pitches in. The school also put every team up in a hotel with lovely accommodations.
On the day of the competition, the schedule started early with a 7:30 AM breakfast at W&M before the stock rounds began. The competition was split into three rounds of pitches, in which teams were grouped in threes for a set of judges. Each group had 10 minutes to pitch and then 10 minutes to answer questions. After the first round, only 8 teams advance and the entire competition ends with three teams. For teams that did not advance past round one, there was another networking event with the various corporate partners and sponsors of the competition. Students engaged with corporate representatives about their careers, companies, and possible internship opportunities.
The final round was held before lunch in which the three finalist teams pitched in front of the entire competition group. It was interesting to see the differences in how each finalist presented their pitches, and I learned a lot from watching them. Each finalist team won a monetary prize regardless of placement and the event ended with lunch and a final guest speaker. Overall, the experience was very insightful and an excellent way to break out more into the finance world. I learned a lot about various careers in finance, got exposure to banks and firms I had never heard of, and learned even more about presenting and pitching a stock; such as what to look for, how to evaluate it, how to convince someone to invest in your ideas. It was a tiring two days but a great experience - I would recommend it to anyone looking for more experience with stock pitching and finance.
My teammates (and AIA classmates ) agreed, Lily a junior "I really loved the community-building mission of the event, which exceeded my expectations. I made some really great connections that I know I'll keep in touch with. There were people from very different backgrounds, giving me exposure to tons of different sides of finance. The teams and professionals were incredibly generous with their time as well."
Maddie, a freshman added "I thought the event was amazing overall. For it only being two days, I feel like I was able to meet so many people. Everyone there, even the students, was so friendly and eager to learn from one another. Pitching a stock to judges (in person) for the first time was terrifying but exhilarating at the same time and I'm so glad I had this experience!"
We have learned so much in the Opportunity Fund Program and that served us well as we tackled this new challenge. Building on our newfound capabilities and confidence, we were eager to take it further and compete in Virginia. Together, these two experiences continue to make us stronger and more engaged in the world of finance.