Have you seen the recent headlines? 

• 'Big names back $25 million Alabama Futures Fund' - by William Thornton, al.com
• 'Alabama Futures Fund gets $25 Million to fund early stage startups from an A team of investors including Charles Barkley' - by  Kara Kennedy, bhamnow.com
• '$25 Million Alabama Futures Fund: ‘This state is open for business for startups.’' - by Andrew Yeager, wbhm.org

Alabama is becoming a hotbed for large seed-stage investment funding. Big names such as Charles Barkley, Protective Life Insurance Company, HOAR Construction, Raymond J. Harbert, G. Ruffner Page Jr., and Benny M. LaRussa, Jr. will be backing entrepreneurs as long as they are in the state or willing to relocate to Alabama through the  Alabama Futures Fund. 

With all this buzz, the upcoming River Pitch in Tuscaloosa will likely draw the attention of both investors and budding entrepreneurs. David Rains, a shareholder with Rosen Harwood, attended an event on September 26, at The Edge hosted by the Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute regarding the Alabama Futures Fund and the advancement of Tuscaloosa’s entrepreneurial culture. Rains shared, “Rosen Harwood is a proud supporter of The Edge. We are excited about the upcoming River Pitch and look forward to partnering with the entrepreneurs we meet to help bring their innovative ideas to fruition.”

Rosen Harwood is one of the booth sponsors for the River Pitch event. If you think you have an idea worthy to pitch, this event is for you. The 2018 River Pitch Business Idea Competition is an event for students and community members. You have 3 minutes present. If you win you will get $1,000 and valuable feedback. Attend one of the practice events to sharpen your skills and get ready for the competition. 

If you are not in the area, check the Global Entrepreneurship Network’s site for an event near your during Global Entrepreneurship Week November 12th - 18th.