MIAMI, Feb. 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Latino Startup Alliance (LSA) and Hispanicize 2014 are launching a national search for the nation's top Latino Startup of the Year. Hispanicize Wire, the innovative and industry's most economical multimedia press release service serving small businesses, brands, marketing agencies and non-profit organizations, is the contest's sponsor.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=23492
"In a world of many tech contests, ours stands out because it will provide Latino startups with tangible national exposure, media coverage and other benefits that are significantly stronger because they take place within the Hispanicize event," said LSA Co-Founder and Co-Chair Jesse Martinez.
In keeping with the types of attendees Hispanicize 2014 regularly attracts the competitions must be one or more of the following fields: Social Media, Journalism, Film, Music, Marketing, and/or Entertainment.
As part of the contest, Hispanicize 2014 will fly three finalists to Miami to present their ideas live before a prestigious group of investors and entrepreneurs on Thursday, April 3. The grand-prize winner will receive introductions to investors, guaranteed national media coverage, a package of multimedia press release distributions from Hispanicize Wire worth $2,500.
"We're delighted to support LSA's work because we too are Latino tech entrepreneurs and we understand how important it is for startups to be able to afford marketing platforms like ours," said Hispanicize Wire CEO Bill Gato.
HOW THE COMPETITION WORKS
In order to participate in the competition, startups must submit a three-minute or less YouTube video that discusses why they feel their company deserves to be recognized as the Latino Startup of the Year. PLEASE apply HERE. The deadline to submit is March 4.
LSA's board of advisors will select three finalists from the videos submitted to the contest, all of which will be invited to pitch in person at Hispanicize 2014 on Thursday, April 3. Hispanicize 2014 will provide each finalist with free airfare, one night hotel room stay and a full pass to attend the event.
The three finalists will then participate in the final pitch contest that will include four judges.
COMPETITION RULES
Due to time constraints only one company founder will be allowed to pitch. Finalists will be notified by February 21st.
CRITERIA
Requirements: Startups must be headquartered in the U.S. and/or Puerto Rico and led by one Latino living in the U.S. or Puerto Rico. The startup must be in one or more of the following fields: Social Media, Journalism, Film, Music, Marketing, and/or Entertainment. The startup does not have to be focused on the U.S. Latino Market. In addition, we will provide MANDATORY pitch coaching to all the startups selected via webinar prior to Hispanicize 2014.
Qualified startups must have been founded within two years or less, have raised Series A or less funding and have a technical co-founder or in-house technical lead on the team.
Sponsorship and Registration Information
As of today, announced sponsors include: 3M, Toyota, Google, Burson-Marsteller, Transitions, Fox News Latino, Vme, The Axis Agency, Sensis Agency, Texter and many more brands who will shortly be disclosed. Media partners include Being Latino, NPR'S Latino USA, Latin Heat Media Moves, El Sol Newspaper and PRODU.
Sponsorship information is available by contacting sponsorship@hispanicizeevent.com or calling 203.364.4779. To reserve a hotel room visit http://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/gb/en/miami/miaha/hoteldetail?qAdlt=1&qChld=0&qRms=1&qIta=99801505&qGrpCd=SKS&qPSt=0&qSmP=3&qWch=0&qSHp=1&qBrs=6c.hi.ex.rs.ic.cp.in.sb.cw.cv&qSrt=BRAND_SORT&qRpp=25&qRRSrt=rt&qFRA=1&srb_u=1&icdv=99801505
About Hispanicize 2014
Now in its fifth year, Hispanicize 2014 (http://www.HispanicizeEvent.com) (#Hispz14) is the iconic, largest annual event for Latino trendsetters and newsmakers in social media, journalism, advertising, PR, technology, film and music.
Co-chaired by award winning journalist Maria Hinojosa of NPR's Latino USA and Patricia Pineda, Group Vice President of the Hispanic Business Strategy Group of Toyota Motor North America, Hispanicize 2014 is expected to gather more than 1,700 of the nation's most influential Latino professionals from the industries of blogging, journalism, technology, music, marketing, film and business over four full days. Featuring U.S. Hispanic thought leaders and celebrities, the 5th anniversary edition of Hispanicize will be taking place at the InterContinental Miami hotel with several offsite events at major cultural venues.
The event is a launch pad for creative endeavors, new products, technologies, marketing campaigns, films, books and more targeting Latinos in the U.S. and/or Puerto Rico.
Hispanicize 2014, a partnership of the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA), Hispanicize and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), will be held at the InterContinental Miami hotel, April 1-4, 2014 in downtown Miami.
About the Latino Startup Alliance (LSA)
Co-headquartered in San Francisco and Miami, LSA is a fiscally sponsored project of CEL Education Fund. LSA is committed to building the foundation that fosters an ecosystem to support Latino tech entrepreneurs and future innovators by providing a community of peers, resources, mentors, & investors.
Originally founded in 2011 by first generation Mexican-American entrepreneur brothers Jesse and Ed Martinez as a support group for Latino tech entrepreneurs, LSA's national non-profit is led by the Martinez brothers as well as Manny Ruiz, founder of the nationally known Latino digital and social media platform collectively known as Hispanicize.
For more on Latino Startup Alliance, visit http://latinostartupalliance.org/ & follow the organization on https://twitter.com/Latino_Startups and https://www.facebook.com/LatinoStartupAlliance.
