Capstone · May 2027
Five minutes. A panel of judges. One idea you've spent a year on.
The Capstone Pitch Event is the finish line of the AI Innovators year. Student teams present the business they built — market evidence, financials, marketing plan, and all — to a panel of outside industry judges who score it and question it in real time.
The run-up
You don't walk in cold.
Oct – Dec 2026
Build
Business model and market case
Research, validate, and pressure-test the idea in MGMT 80 and AI 45.
December 2026
Rehearse
Internal Fall Showcase
A full-format run in front of faculty and peers only. Low stakes, real feedback.
Feb – Apr 2027
Sharpen
Marketing plan and revisions
Rebuild the weak parts. Add the go-to-market case in MKTG 47 and AI 40.
May 2027
Pitch
Capstone Pitch Event
External judges, scored rubric, live questions, and networking afterward.
How you're scored
The rubric, in plain terms.
Problem clarity
Is there a real problem, and can you show someone actually has it?
Market evidence
Do your numbers come from somewhere, and can you name the source?
Financial reasoning
Does the money work, and do you understand your own assumptions?
Responsible AI use
Can you show where AI helped, where you overrode it, and why?
Delivery
Five minutes, clear story, confident under questions.
Team
Does the work hold together, and does everyone know their part of it?
The full rubric is shared with students at the start of Fall, not held back until the end. You should know exactly what you're being measured on.
Judges
Who's in the room.
Industry professionals from entrepreneurship, technology, and small business, recruited through LBCC's industry advisory committees, regional chambers of commerce, and faculty networks.
Judges score against the rubric, give each team direct verbal feedback, and stay afterward for open networking with students.
Details
Event information
| When | May 2027 — exact date to be announced |
|---|---|
| Where | Long Beach City College — venue to be announced |
| Format | Team presentations with live judge questions, followed by open networking |
| Open to | LBCC students, faculty, staff, families, and the Long Beach business community |
| Cost | Free to attend |
RSVP opens in Spring 2027. Join the interest list and we'll send the invitation.
