Office of Business Opportunity

OBO Press Release

November 5, 2020 -- This Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m., the City of Houston will host the first virtual Pitch Day for Liftoff Houston!. This annual startup business plan competition, sponsored by Capital One and administered by the Houston Public Library (HPL) and the Office of Business Opportunity (OBO), will feature nine finalists competing for cash prizes totaling $30,000.

Finalists will be competing in the three category areas of Product, Service, and Innovation, with the top three winners in each category winning $10,000 toward making their dreams of business ownership become reality.

Though the program is in its eighth year, 2020 represents the first time Liftoff Houston! has been completely virtual. This year’s program was reimagined as a result of the pandemic, in order to continue to provide access to invaluable resources, education and mentorship for the next generation of entrepreneurs in our City, safely.

“Opportunity and accessibility in our current environment is essential,” said The Mayor. “I invite everyone to attend Pitch Day and be inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of our finalists.”

Pitch Day for Liftoff Houston! is free and open to the public. Additional details and register to view the competition. Registrants will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite pitch as part of the competition’s fan favorite component.

About Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $210.4 billion in deposits and $306.2 billion in total assets as of March 31, 2015. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has branches located primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “COF” and is included in the S&P 100 index.

About the Office of Business Opportunity
The City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) is committed to creating a competitive and diverse business environment in the City of Houston by promoting the growth and success of local small businesses through a wide range of services from start-up business assistance to certification for established businesses seeking contract opportunities with the City. Through OBO’s Houston Business Solutions Center, they provide resources that help with the launch, sustainability, and growth of businesses. For more information about the Office of Business Opportunity and their suite of services, please visit www.houstontx.gov/obo or call 832-393-0954.

About the Houston Public Library
The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 35 neighborhood libraries, four HPL Express Libraries, a Central Library, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, The African American Library at the Gregory School, and the Parent Resource Library located in the Children’s Museum of Houston. With more than eight million visits per year in person and online, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library customers with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7.

For more information, visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org or on Twitter @houstonlibrary or call 832-393-1313.