Peace Peloton’s Upcoming Pitch Competition: Fueling the Futures of Entrepreneurs
Peace Peloton organizers and participants pose at a 2023 event, showcasing an illuminating sense of community (Photo: Eli Branch IV)
Peace Peloton’s upcoming Harmony Hustle Pitch Competition, an annual fundraiser where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas for a chance to win $10,000, is right around the corner. The competition is part of Peace Peloton’s accelerator program, which supports scalable and sustainable business ideas, creates a welcoming platform for all backgrounds, and fosters invaluable community support between small business owners and resources. The deadline for applications is October 25, with the final Harmony Hustle pitch event on November 7 at Porter in downtown Seattle.
With energy and inspiration behind his words, Doc Wilson, the founder and executive director of Peace Peloton, called the competition and fundraiser as a hyper-intentional form of micro lending where funds are raised and reallocated to kickstarting the best local business ideas. “It's difficult for entrepreneurs, people who have a business idea or even a small business, to go to a traditional bank and get funding,” he said, hoping that the competition will inspire up-and-coming entrepreneurs to get their ideas out there despite the challenges.
Wilson outlined the racial disparities in entrepreneurship and the intention of Peace Peloton to create platforms, like the pitch competition, where people of color have their rightful shot. “Black people, Black entrepreneurs, we're over mentored and underfunded,” he said. “I always do what I can to show up and drive money to businesses with Black owners or people of color. And it just so happens now that I'm in a position where we could do that on a larger scale.”
Peace Peloton’s 2024 winner of the Harmony Hustle Pitch Competition Quinta Whitfield features on the competition’s 2025 flyer.
On application requirements, Wilson explained that all competitive applicants must have a product or service that is “sustainable and scalable.” This year, the competition is targeting AI and logistics, a sector that Wilson sees as the fundamentals of a future in business, especially in Seattle. “We want to focus more on creating this economic engine that can grow,” he said. “Then these individuals and organizations can hire people, and they can continue to grow, and then we can build out these larger economies and communities.”
But the competition goes far beyond funding, providing resources and relationships to help elevate the winners in all aspects. “We're going to show up in ways that fund them, that teaches them how to invest their dollars, and teaches them how to be very thoughtful in the way they engage,” Wilson said.
In addition to the fundraiser and pitch competition, Peace Peloton elevates community with their Rooted - Growth Accelerator, their monthly Columbia City Night Market, and popular bikes events including Fresh Air and Summit To Sound.
Visit https://www.peacepeloton.com/harmony-hustle to submit your application for the pitch competition by Saturday, October 24, or buy tickets to attend the competition on Friday, November 7 at Porter in Downtown Seattle. First access ticket pricing ends TOMORROW, Friday, October 4.
