Next week I’ll be showcasing Fwd:Vault at the Entrepreneur Expo, powered by Philly Startup Leaders. The event is designed to celebrate all things entrepreneurial, and really show off up-and-coming businesses in the Philadelphia region.

A total of 40 companies will take part in the expo, and a lucky 10 of those will have the opportunity to take the floor and speak for about 10 minutes, sharing their experiences, how they got started, etc. This part is the most exciting for me, because the rules for presenting explicitly say that it’s not a pitch…

Tell Your Story: Provide a presentation by which the idea has either become or is becoming a reality; include the genesis of the idea and the path to bringing that idea to reality.

…

It’s Not a Sales Pitch: This is not meant to sell the product or idea to the participant; it is also not meant to pitch to any one segment of attendees (e.g. investors).

I’m hoping that the narrow focus will really encourage the speakers to dive into something more than our usual polished sales and pitch jargon. No word on which of the 40 companies have been chosen to speak, however I did apply for a slot, so we’ll see.

Update: Selections have been made, and I was picked! So come check out Fwd:Vault and 39 other awesome companies, and stick around for the backstory on how I got here.

The event is also organized entirely by volunteers, spearheaded by my friend Gloria Bell over at Red Stapler Consulting. So if nothing else, come and celebrate what passionate people are capable of doing with limited resources. That’s what being a startup is all about, isn’t it? Yours truly is even responsible for putting the site together. It’s amazing what you can do with Wordpress and a little know-how these days. (Disclosure: I don’t handle site content).

**The PSL Entrepreneur Expo

April 13, 2010 6 pm - 9 pm

Solmsson Court, Hamilton Hall

University of the Arts

Pine & Broad**

Hopefully I’ll see you there!