Concept $5K

The first time I served as a judge at the Velocity (now Concept) $5K semi-finals was winter 2019. As I observed presenters rehearing their pitches prior to the start of the event, I recall saying to myself that I was likely just as nervous as the presenters, if not more so. The other judges on the panel were all founders of their own start-ups, and I was petrified of having no feedback to provide or providing feedback that the presenters did not find helpful.

When I first entered AFM, I really had no idea what I wanted to get out of it. I’ve always been a poor long-term planner, so for first year, my goals were – find a job, do well in courses, and have a good time.