The Gatton College of Business and Economics has announced the speakers and networking opportunities for the 2022 PNC Business Innovation Summit, set for April 22-23.
Sponsored by PNC Bank, the Summit includes the PNC Business Innovation Conference and the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition. The Summit provides the University of Kentucky community and its students a valuable opportunity to learn from, network with and hear from innovation leaders, as well as provides undergraduate and graduate division students an opportunity to pitch a business plan with a chance to win seed money.
“Now, more than ever, entrepreneurial spirit is reaching new heights and social innovation is at center stage,” said John Gohmann, PNC regional president for Lexington. “The time could not be more perfect to learn from those at the top of their trade, but also to encourage competition between student entrepreneurs with creative ideas and business plans that may lead to lasting community change.”
The 2022 PNC Business Innovation Conference theme is “The Business Case for Social Innovation.” It features social innovation change makers, as well as networking opportunities with top innovation leaders including keynote speaker, Ian McClure, associate vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Impact for UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky.
Additional leaders speaking in the conference include:
The second Summit event is the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition, opening at 8:30am Saturday, April 23. Project pitches will follow, where UK students will compete for $20,000 in seed funding after presenting their business plans to a panel of prestigious judges. The selection of the winner will follow the completion of pitches.
“The Gatton College of Business is delighted to host this conference, sponsored by PNC Bank,” said Simon Sheather, dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics. “Our students gain so much from being able to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into action. This experience gives them the opportunity to present and sharpen their pitching skills while being able to network with local innovation leaders.”
The PNC Business Innovation conference is a virtual event, offered at no charge to all members of the University of Kentucky and the community; and the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition for students, is a hybrid event to be held virtually and in-person at The Cornerstone, the new innovation space and esports facilities on the north side of the UK campus.
For more information and to register for the PNC Business Innovation Summit, visit https://gatton.uky.edu/business-innovation-summit.
PNC Bank
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
