Palm Desert, CA

Entrepreneurs across the Coachella Valley are being invited to showcase their ideas and compete for funding at an upcoming live startup pitch competition hosted by the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino.

The Greater Coachella Valley Innovation Showcase will take place Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Palm Desert Entrepreneurial Resource Center, located at 37023 Cook Street, Suite 102 in Palm Desert.

Organizers are encouraging regional startups to apply now through March 27 for the opportunity to pitch their ventures live before a panel of judges. The winning startup will receive a $5,000 award and advance to the Riverside County Innovation Month Pitch Finale.

The event serves as the official Coachella Valley regional pitch competition during Riverside County Innovation Month in April. The showcase brings together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, and community partners for an evening focused on innovation, funding opportunities, and business development.

Finalists advancing from the Coachella Valley competition will move on to the Riverside County Innovation Month Pitch Finale, where startups will compete for a $20,000 prize. The county winner will then earn the opportunity to represent Riverside County at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco, where competitors from around the world will vie for a $1 million investment prize.

Attendance at the April 21 showcase is free, though registration is required and seating is limited. Organizers encourage early registration to secure a spot. Startups interested in pitching must submit their applications before the March 27 deadline.

The Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino supports entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the Inland Empire. The center offers business counseling, access to funding resources, educational programming, and networking opportunities designed to foster innovation and economic growth in the region.

Programs within the center include the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center, the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center, the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center, the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center, the International Trade Development Program, Entrepreneurial Resource Centers in San Bernardino, Temecula, and Palm Desert, and the annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards.

More information about the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship and its programs is available at www.entre.csusb.edu.