Miller Lite is in search of entrepreneurs who are committed to growing their business. For the fifth year, the Miller Lite Tap the Future business competition will hit the road for a Live Pitch tour. The five-city tour will feature twenty-five semifinalists eager to take their business to the next level.  

Miller Lite Tap the Future is kicking off its 2017 Live Pitch Tour with stops in New York, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles and Chicago. Five semifinalists in each city have been selected from nearly 7,000 applicants to pitch in front of Daymond John, co-star of ABC's Shark Tank and a panel of judges for $20,000 and an opportunity to advance to the finals.  The winning business from each event will pitch again before an executive panel of judges this fall where the winning business will be awarded the grand prize of $100,000.

"The Miller Lite Tap the Future program is about finding people who hold true to their vision of success despite the obstacles they face," said Steve Canal, manager of national community affairs with MillerCoors. "For five years, the Tap the Future program has helped to cultivate and empower dozens of entrepreneurs from around the country and we're excited to continue the tradition this year with a new wave of businesses that will be presenting during our Live Pitch Tour."

Each business pitch will be evaluated according to a specific criteria. Contestants will receive in-person feedback from Daymond and the judging panel.

"Miller Lite Tap the Future is an outstanding program for up-and-coming entrepreneurs and I'm proud to have been a partner the past five years," said Daymond. "The judging gets more challenging every year, since the finalists get better as the program continues to grow. This year, I'm looking forward to seeing original ideas that standout and entrepreneurs who are focused on holding true to achieve success."

Miller Lite, as the pioneer of the light beer category held true to its original vision of being a great tasting light beer and is now on a mission to empower the next wave of entrepreneurs through the Miller Lite Tap the Future program. This year's judging panel will include Sean O'Brien and Evan Wray, co-founders of Swyft Media, a tech company that helps brands and advertisers create and distribute content across a wide variety of mobile apps. Sean and Evan were the first winners of the Miller Lite Tap the Future program in 2012. Each Live Pitch event will be hosted by marketing and lifestyle expert, Kenny Burns and will feature seasoned business owners and program partners as guest judges.

LIVE PITCH TOUR SCHEDULE

• New York – July 18

• Atlanta – July 25

• Houston – July 27

• Los Angeles – August 1

• Chicago – August 8