SkyDeck's IPP Pitch Competition (Batch 21)
Join Us for the Pad-13 In-Person Pitch Competition
We are pleased to invite you to our Pad-13 Pitch Competition, an engaging in-person event where promising founders will present their startup ideas to a panel of experienced judges and a community of supporters.
This pitch event will be held in the style of American Idol, combining constructive feedback, audience participation, and plenty of opportunities to connect. Whether you are an investor, mentor, founder, or friend of SkyDeck, this is a chance to discover innovative ideas and meet the people behind them.
During the event, you’ll:
Hear pitches from thirteen Pad-13 startups tackling diverse challenges and industries.
Gain insights from judges who will share feedback and perspectives on each presentation.
Participate in selecting an Audience Favorite, alongside the judges’ choice of the winning startup.
Network with founders, advisors, and members of the SkyDeck community over appetizers following the pitches.
Event Schedule
3:45 – 4:00 PM – Check-in
4:00 – 4:05 PM – Welcome Remarks & Introduction
4:05 – 4:10 PM – Judges’ Introductions
4:10 – 5:20 PM – Startup Pitches & Judge Feedback
5:20 – 5:30 PM – Announcement of Winners & Closing Remarks
5:30 – 6:30 PM – Networking Reception with Appetizers
About the Judges
Sibyl Chen is the General Manager at Berkeley SkyDeck, UC Berkeley’s premier startup accelerator. In this role, she advises early-stage founders, oversees all program operations, and leads a global community of over 850 advisors and mentors. A former entrepreneur who built and led two companies, Sibyl began her career in the entertainment industry, working at the top talent agency, CAA, where she brokered financing and distribution for movies. She first joined SkyDeck as an advisor in 2018 before transitioning to a full-time role in 2019. Sibyl holds a Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.
David Riemer is the founder of Box Out Industries where he works with entrepreneurs, business professionals, and artists to focus their ideas through the power of narrative. In short, he helps people get their stories straight.
John Hughes is the co-founder of Swift Ventures, an AI-focused venture fund he launched with longtime collaborator Brett Wilson. Together, they previously founded and led TubeMogul (now Adobe Ad Cloud), helping to transform online video and programmatic advertising before joining Adobe. Today at Swift Ventures, John invests in early-stage companies using AI to reshape traditional industries, building the kind of fund he wishes had existed when he was starting out.
SkyDeck mentors, advisors, alumni founders, investors, and friends are all invited to join us for this event.
📍 Please note: This competition will take place in person only.
We look forward to welcoming you and sharing an afternoon of ideas, learning, and community - followed by networking and appetizers.
To learn more, visit Mercury.com. Apply for an account through this link - http://mercury.com/partner/skydeck