First time in San Diego for `Pitch Tank’
12 entrepreneurs seeking funding from investors, including Escondido-based Cookie Club of America
San Diego CA— The Angel Investors Network (AIN), a San Diego-based company that matches investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding, will host its next “Pitch Tank” event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 16, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel’s Marina Bay Tower, 1380 Harbor Island Dr., San Diego.
It’s the first time for AIN to hold its Pitch Tank in San Diego since the event began in 2015. Previous Pitch Tank events have been held in Las Vegas, Tampa and Los Angeles.
Investors attending Pitch Tank in San Diego should have the net worth to invest a minimum of $50,000 on two or three deals annually, according to Jeff Barnes, CEO, AIN. For event information, visit www.pitchtankinvestor.com.
Attendees at Pitch Tank will include venture capitalists, private equity firms and angel investors, as well as 12 individuals seeking investors’ capital, including Escondido resident Clifford Smith, founder and CEO of San Diego-based Cookie Club of America.
Smith will be seeking $250,000 for investment in his Cookie Club of America venture he founded in May 2018. Smith has obtained special authorization from the U.S. military branches to emboss the various service emblems on cookies. The different lines of cookies feature the emblems of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Air National Guard.
“I’m seeking the money to create separate service dies and packaging to satisfy the retail, online and military demands,” said Smith. “The idea for cookies with military emblems is based on my desire to thank our service men and women for their brave efforts while protecting our freedoms.”
Smith said he comes from a family with a long line of military service, including two brothers who served in Iraq. Also, his father served during World War II with Gen. George Patton, Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. Bernard Montgomery. He currently has a nephew serving in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity to present at Pitch Tank and to honor military service, past, present and into the future,” Smith said. “We’re using a simple cookie to raise awareness and help improve the financial scenarios for any military nonprofit who signs on as an affiliate.”
If all goes well, Smith said the cookies will be available later this year nationwide and online under the brand name of United States Military Emblem Cookies. He said any of the more than 45,000 military-related nonprofits will be able to raise money in support of their own programs by reselling the cookies through an affiliate program.
Smith also said he has an agreement to support military families through the National Military Family Association, which will receive branding on every package, website placement and their own logo cookie in each package, along with product and cash donations. In addition, Smith said consumers who purchase cookies online will have the option of setting up a subscription plan for themselves or to send boxes of cookies to American troops stationed overseas. For more information on Cookie Club of America, visit www.cookieclubofamerica.com.
AIN said it receives more than 1,000 applications annually from individuals hoping to be selected for an appearance at a Pitch Tank. Since its founding, company officials said more than $100 million has been raised for entrepreneurial ventures.