STARTUP FIESTA is a pop-up gathering for New Mexico’s entrepreneurs, small businesses, hackers, hustlers, designers, and innovators to meet and inspire each other. Showcase your successes, swap ideas, and mingle with peers and talent.
FREE for all to attend! Thanks to funding from the City of Albuquerque.
What’s happening?
- Fast Pitches – High-energy, 60-second pitches from 6 entrepreneurs competing for services and $1000 cash.
- Startup Showcase – Meet 15 New Mexico startups
- Featured Founder – Hear the story of Mark Baker, a successful NM entrepreneur
- Free wine from VARA Wines (non-VARA products for purchase at cash bar)
- Raffle – Prizes from the showcase companies
- Eat, Drink, Socialize – Free heavy appetizers & dessert. Cash bar for Drinks
Featured Founder – Mark Baker
Hear how Mark Baker directs his interest in fostering community and improving lives through architectural design, urban revitalization, and placemaking and along the way, launched several of the most recognizable brands in Albuquerque.
- Mark’s firm Baker A+D is a three-time recipient of the Harnar Award for Contemporary Architecture. Mark
received a Masters of Architecture from UCLA in 2000. Baker A+D is known for creative modern solutions
incorporating the latest materials and sustainable technologies appropriate to the land and climate of New
Mexico.
- In 2014, he launched Humble Coffee Company and has learned, under fire, the ins-and-outs of the food and
beverage industry. Humble has been voted Best Coffee in Albuquerque and has gained local fans for its annual
Humble Birthday Bash and Humble Holiday Pop-Up Market that draw hundreds of people.
- In 2016-17, Mark purchased and redeveloped the vacant Sears Building at 505 Central Avenue into 34 marketrate
apartments above restaurant space on the ground floor.
- During the pandemic, (against all intelligent thought), Mark built the 505 Central Food Hall, which he
envisioned as the de facto living room of Downtown Albuquerque. The 505 includes 9 local vendors in a
family-friendly urban food court style environment.
Pitchers
Website Links: Faena, WaveOn Health, Tummi Yummi, VastVision, Refract Studio, Senior.One
Showcase
Agenda
- 5:00 PM: Doors Open & Showcase
- 5:30 PM: Featured Founder, Fast Pitches, Raffle
- 6:00 PM: Showcase & Explore Electric Playhouse
- 8:00 PM: See you next time!
Fast Pitch Prizes
Judging Criteria
- “Which entrepreneur sparks curiosity for deeper exploration?”
- That’s it! One simple judging criteria.
- Why so simple? Because a 1 minute pitch has one goal: to pique interest for a follow-up.
- For our entrepreneurs, we want: straight-forward, succinct, and high-energy pitches.
Prize Pool
First Place
- $1000 Cash! Sponsored by FedTech
- First choice of 3 prizes from the prize pool
Second Place:
- $500 Cash! Sponsored by StartNowNM
- Second choice of 3 prizes from the prize pool
Audience Favorite
- $250 Cash! Sponsored by StartNowNM
- Remaining prizes from the prize pool
Judges
Presenting Sponsor
Prize Sponsors
Judge Sponsors
Apply to Pitch & Showcase
Pitch Eligibility Criteria:
- Pitch Application Deadline is May 16
- 6 Spots Available
- Registered to do business and headquartered in New Mexico
- Company website
- Less than $500,000 of lifetime revenue (excluding grants such as SBIR/STTR)
- Less than $250,000 of external investment (excluding grants such as SBIR/STTR)
- Less than 5 years in business
- Submit a 1-minute pitch video
- This can be a basic DIY video on your phone or webcam
- Submit a link to the video either in your shared drive or hosting platform (e.g. YouTube)
- Must be willing to attend a pitch coaching session prior to the event.
- All pitching companies get a showcase table
Showcase Eligibility:
- Registered to do business and headquartered in New Mexico
- Company website
- Small business less than 500 employees
- You do not need to pitch. You can showcase only.
- 15 Showcase Spots Available (6 are for pitching companies, 9 are for showcase-only.)
- Showcase-only application deadline is May 19
Other Info:
- Each attendee must also register for a ticket on the event page, including pitchers, showcasers, and their employees.
- Past Startup Pitch participants are eligible to pitch again because now we have prizes. 🙂
Interested in Supporting NM Entrepreneurs?
Download sponsorship information.
