Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP (www.hpg.com), one of the largest CPA firms headquartered and staffed in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, announces today that partner Brooks Malone is serving as a judge for the Duke Start-Up Challenge and as a “Coach on Call” for the DUhatch Student Business Incubator program. This is the 3rd consecutive year Malone has supported Duke students in their entrepreneurial efforts.

“The Start-Up Challenge and the DUhatch incubator are two great opportunities Duke offers to gain practical and valuable experience,” says Malone. “I am proud to work with the students as they develop their entrepreneurial vision.”

This is the 11th year Duke has held the Start-Up Challenge. Spanning the entire academic year, teams progress through a series of competitions that include presenting an elevator pitch, presenting an executive summary, submitting a business plan and making an investor pitch presentation.

From the original 110 student teams, seven finalists will be invited to give a second investor pitch during the Investor Pitch Finals. At the Grand Finale, the winning team is revealed and both the finalists and runners-up take part in an elevator pitch competition. The winning team will receive $50,000.

The DUhatch student business incubator connects enterprising students with faculty and industry mentors, gives them office space and facilitates business development. As a “Coach on Call” Malone meets one on one with prospective and early-stage company entrepreneurs to discuss questions they may have and offer financial advice.