About this Event
Land a paying corporate customer who proves your product works. We’ll show you how, and you’ll leave with a real target and a draft proposal in hand.
Most founders chase investors when they should be chasing a customer who'll pay them to prove it works. That's what a corporate pilot is - a small, paid, time-boxed engagement with a bigger company. You get revenue, proof your product works in the real world, and a reference customer whose name opens doors. It's the cheapest validation available, and the customer funds it.
Nicole Royer has run this play from both sides. She took a small manufacturer's product from no distribution to a co-packaging arrangement with a national brand that put it in big box stores for years. She's also spent time inside a Fortune 500 business unit running the innovation portfolio, deciding which pilots got funded, which got killed, and why. She knows what the corporation is actually evaluating, because she's been the one evaluating.
In this working session you'll pick a real target company, map who actually decides, and draft a pilot proposal you can send. You won't leave with a signed pilot, but you'll leave with a specific target, a reach strategy, and a proposal in progress.
This is a working session, so don’t forget to bring your laptop. This event is open to the public, but there are limited spots and registration is required. A light lunch will be provided.
Sparq Works helps entrepreneurs and small business owners grow their companies by digging into essential business functions and offering practical solutions they can apply immediately. Covering a range of topics, these monthly workshops hosted at Sparq are free and open to the public, sponsored by the iQ and powered by Vision to Venture.
Event venue & nearby stays
Sparq, Crane Room, 486 N Patterson Ave, Winston Salem, United States
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