Artpreneur Pitch Challenge
Create Your Idea. Pitch Your Future.
What is the
Artpreneur Pitch Challenge?
The Artpreneur Pitch Challenge invites high school, community college, and CSUN students in creative fields to imagine how their talents, ideas, skills, and creativity could become a product, service, business, technology, experience, or solution that creates opportunity or makes an impact.
You don’t need to already own a business. You don’t need investors, sales, customers, or a finished prototype. You need an idea, imagination, and the willingness to explore what that idea could become.
The Artpreneur Philosophy
Artpreneur isn’t looking for students who already know how to build a company. We’re looking for emerging creatives who see possibilities.
Bring us an idea. Show us who it could help, why it matters, and what it could become. Then use the Artpreneur experience to research it, test it, improve it, and discover how your creativity can create opportunity — for yourself and for others.
You don’t need a business. You need an idea worth exploring.
Don’t wait for someone else to create your opportunity. Create your own path.
Accessibility • Business • Technology
Artpreneur encourages students to think about three areas shaping creative careers. These are lenses for thinking, not requirements that every pitch must address equally.
Accessibility
Could your idea include more people, remove barriers, improve an experience, or make a positive difference for people with disabilities? Accessibility-focused ideas are encouraged, but not required.
Business
Who is your idea for? What value does it create? How might it sustain itself or become a real opportunity?
Technology
Could technology or emerging tools strengthen the idea, improve access, or create new possibilities? Technology is welcome, but not required.
Who Can Enter?
Invited high school, community college, and CSUN students interested in creative fields and the creative economy.
What Can You Pitch?
A creative business, product, service, app, game, digital experience, freelance practice, accessibility solution, merchandise concept, community initiative, sustainability idea, educational resource, creative technology, or something we have not imagined yet.
If your idea combines creativity, opportunity, imagination, and thoughtful problem-solving, we want to hear it.
What Do You Submit?
Submit a 3–5 minute prerecorded video pitch. Your video does not need to be professionally produced — a phone, webcam, or laptop recording is fine. Visuals, sketches, slides, mockups, samples, or prototypes are welcome but not required.
We are evaluating your idea — not your video-production skills.
Your Pitch Should Tell us
- Who are you and what are your creative interests?
- What is your idea?
- What problem or opportunity did you identify?
- Who is it for and why could it matter to them?
- What makes it creative, useful, different, or interesting?
- How could it become real?
- What impact could it have?
- What would you develop or improve next if selected as a finalist?
How It Works
Round One
Submit your 3–5 minute video pitch by Friday, October 30, 2026
Six Finalists
Evaluators will select six finalists based on the strength and potential of their ideas. Finalists will receive time and guidance to research, test, refine, and strengthen their concepts.
Live Finals
The six finalists will present their refined ideas live during Creative Path Summit 3.0 on Saturday, November 21, 2026, before three judges and the Creative Path community.
Finalist challenge:
Show us what you learned between your first pitch and the finals.
What Are We Looking For?
- A creative and compelling idea
- A clear problem, need, or opportunity
- An understanding of who the idea is for and why it matters
- Potential to develop, test, improve, or launch the idea
- Thoughtful impact and inclusive thinking where relevant
- Clear and engaging communication
We evaluate potential, not privilege or polish. A strong idea does not need expensive production, advanced business knowledge, or a finished prototype.
Ready to Pitch Your Idea?
Your idea does not need to be perfect. It simply needs a place to start.
Create Your Idea. Pitch Your Future.
ADVISORS & SUPPORTERS
The Creative Path Summit 3.0 is generously sponsored by long-time supporters of CSUN. We want to sincerely thank and acknowledge our industry partners who have ensured our students have every opportunity to leverage and start their careers.
