Evaluator Criteria

Evaluator Requirements

Verge Conference evaluators will be responsible for determining the points awarded during the live presentation portion of the event. Their scores will be used to determine the ranking of each award. Each finalist will receive points on their presentation using a predefined rubric.

Each evaluator will also award points during the deliberation time after all presentations.

The final scores will be used to determine this years conference prizes.

Evaluators are required to:

Attend from 4 - 8pm on May 25 in Walla Walla
Attend a training session (in-person/virtually) on May 16 at 8am or May 19 at 5pm
Review business plans for our finalists before May 25

This year's evaluators will be comprised of:

No more than 1 non-profit represented
Up to 9 small business owners
Up to 2 academic institutions represented
Up to 2 'at large' persons represented
Up to 2 governmental employees or municipalities represented

Winners of impact grants or Verge Conference awards (up to and including $2500) are welcome to apply as evaluators.

To qualify as an evaluator you must meet ALL of the following:

Haven't judged previous impact grants or Verge Conference applications
Be available on May 25th from 4 - 8pm
Attend a 1h pre-conference training on May 18 (time TBD)
Agree to limit their consideration of the finalists to information presented by the conference
Have no personal, professional or financial connection to the finalists
Must treat all finalist information provided by Verge Conference as confidential
Be willing to sign an agreement representing all criteria are correct and true.

&

To qualify as an evaluator you must meet TWO of the following:

Own a small business (less than $3M annual revenue) for 2+ years
Provide services primarily targeting small businesses
Regularly use rubrics in the course of their profession
Be Primarily self-employed
Be primarily employed by a non-profit organization or
serve on a non-profit board
Be primarily employed by an academic institution or serve on an academic board
Be primarily employed by a business that provides professional services to small businesses (less than $3M)
Be primarily employed by a government or municipality

If you meet the above criteria, and are interested please apply to be an evaluator!

Evaluator Application

Evaluator Requirements

Verge Conference evaluators will be responsible for determining the points awarded during the live presentation portion of the event. Their scores will be used to determine the ranking of each award. Each finalist will receive points on their presentation using a predefined rubric.

​

Each evaluator will also award points during the deliberation time after all presentations.

​

The final scores will be used to determine this years conference prizes.

​

Evaluators are required to:

Attend from 4 - 8pm on May 25 in Walla Walla

Attend a training session (in-person/virtually) on May 16 at 8am or May 19 at 5pm

Review business plans for our finalists before May 25

​

This year's evaluators will be comprised of:

No more than 1 non-profit represented

Up to 9 small business owners

Up to 2 academic institutions represented

Up to 2 'at large' persons represented

Up to 2 governmental employees or municipalities represented

​

Winners of impact grants or Verge Conference awards (up to and including $2500) are welcome to apply as evaluators.

Evaluator Criteria

To qualify as an evaluator you must meet ALL of the following:

Haven't judged previous impact grants or Verge Conference applications

Be available on May 25th from 4 - 8pm

Attend a 1h pre-conference training on May 18 (time TBD)

Agree to limit their consideration of the finalists to information presented by the conference

Have no personal, professional or financial connection to the finalists

Must treat all finalist information provided by Verge Conference as confidential

Be willing to sign an agreement representing all criteria are correct and true.

&

To qualify as an evaluator you must meet TWO of the following:

Own a small business (less than $3M annual revenue) for 2+ years

Provide services primarily targeting small businesses

Regularly use rubrics in the course of their profession

Be Primarily self-employed

Be primarily employed by a non-profit organization or

serve on a non-profit board

Be primarily employed by an academic institution or serve on an academic board

Be primarily employed by a business that provides professional services to small businesses (less than $3M)

Be primarily employed by a government or municipality

​

​

If you meet the above criteria, and are interested please apply to be an evaluator!