Each year, dozens of entrepreneurs and investors meet at Sugarbush Ski Resort for a day of pitching business ideas out on the slopes.
Peak Pitch, an annual event created and run by FreshTracks Capital, gives startup companies an opportunity to try out their messaging as many times as they can ski down the mountain and ride back up again. At the lift, each entrepreneur is paired with an investor and delivers his or her pitch while they ride to the top. The investor then decides whether to invest his fake money in the business. Those entrepreneurs with the most “money” at the end of the morning participate in a Pitch Off after lunch. Gravel & Shea attorneys Heather Hammond, Jeff Polubinski, and Pauline Law happily stepped into their ski boots as premium sponsors of the event for a second year. “What a great way to spend a work day—on the snow with people who are excited about their product!” says Polubinski.
Gravel & Shea is a strong supporter of Sugarbush and FreshTracks as well as the many entrepreneurs that are working to create innovative businesses in Vermont. “At Peak Pitch, we get to connect with entrepreneurs in a fun and casual atmosphere and hear about all the incredible companies they’re starting,” says Pauline Law. “There are people here creating everything from satellites and medical apps to maple sap evaporators.” Gravel & Shea Shareholder Heather Hammond, who specializes in labor and employment law, says she loves working with startups because they’re so passionate about what they’re doing. “When we can get in on the ground floor with these companies, we can give them peace of mind that we are handling their legal and compliance issues so they can focus on what they do best—creating great products!”
