He started his first business at the age of 16. His first three weeks of sales financed his freshman year at New York University.
BIO MICHAEL McCARTHY
Q: Who are you and what do you do?
A: Michael McCarthy is a serial entrepreneur. He started his first business at the age of 16 and his first three weeks of sales financed his freshman year at New York University.
From 1994–2004, he was the #1 Stock Market Timer in the United States and raised $100 million in client assets with an inbound marketing referral program he developed. After a brief period of early retirement, Michael founded Budi Products in 2010, a food company designing brain-healthy gourmet snacks which was acquired in 2015.
McCarthy now focuses on teaching entrepreneurship, sales, leadership, and public speaking. He developed the Leadership Sailing Program for MIT Sloan Executive Education in 2016 and is the founder of Power Speaking Coach, a Boston based consulting firm. He recently authored Harnessing the Power of Fear, a book to help reduce the fear of public speaking.
Q: Skills important to win?
A: Can I understand your idea in simple words?
Bring a translator or have your best communicator pitch and the save the founder for Q and A.
1. How will you use the prize money?
2. Why you? Most ideas can be copied (and that’s ok). Why you? If it’s because you’re likable then tell us that. That’s a fine answer.
3. Simple slides with lots of images and few words (less than 6 words per slide is optimal). No video or music in slides. They usually don’t work well. Keep it simple.