Special Feature
‘Break Through The Crowd’ premiered on Sunday October 14 at Zee Entertainment. This new series gives a handful of lucky contestants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into a reality by pitching their ideas to some of the sharpest minds in business. In the end, only one hopeful will “break through the crowd” and walk away with a team of prestigious marketing and crowdfunding gurus.
“Each of the individuals profiled for this series has an important story to tell. Our goal is to inspire our viewers by sharing their experiences in a truly compelling and unique way,” said Sameer Targe, CEO at Zee Americas.
After narrowing down submissions from more than 100 hopeful contestants across the globe, only eight entrepreneurs were selected to compete on Break Through The Crowd. They will each be given a chance to showcase their businesses and concepts, which range from sophisticated lifestyle mobile apps, to thoughtful travel accessories – and even percussion instruments that double as an exercise routine. The highly-anticipated series will follow the journeys of these aspiring moguls, who must persuade a panel of brutally honest judges that they have the chops to succeed in the cut-throat world of business.
“Break Through the Crowd isn’t about the judges and their larger-than-life personalities,” said Director, Arka Sengupta. “Unlike other business competition shows on TV, Break Through The Crowd is focused on the entrepreneurs – many of whom are only just learning the ropes about what it takes to start a business.”
“We are giving viewers an honest look at the road to the finish line – and there are bumps along the way. Each episode explores a new aspect of the start-up process – from pitching the concept to investors, to manufacturing challenges, to marketing their product in our ever-evolving digital age,” Kalpana Malviyaadded. “Fans will relate to the contestants on a deeper level and by the end of season one, they will be emotionally invested in the person behind the product.”
The seven episodes series will be divided up into phases, which will wean out contestants through a series of real-world business scenarios. In episodes one and two, contestants will pitch their ideas to a panel of business experts, which include Alan Brody, Founder of Blockchain Breakthroughs; Sanford Wollman, Co-Founder of Westchester Angels; Nick Adams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Differential Ventures; and Ramit Arora , President and Co-Founder of Biz2Credit. And while they often make facing American Idol’s Simon Cowell seem like a walk through the park, each judge comes from a place of sincerity, having walked a mile in those shoes. After the judges have heard all eight pitches and offered their feedback, three entrepreneurs will be eliminated, and five will advance to phase two.
The competition really heats up in the next phase, when, with the help of judges, contestants must condense their pitch to 60 seconds and tweak their business models to reflect actual flaws with their products. Contestants must find ways to overcome problems that vary from production costs, to manufacturing overseas. There are a number of twists and along the way – each designed to prepare contestants for the unxpected curveballs they might inevitably encounter outside of the show. And by the end of episode four, only two entrepreneurs will have secured a spot in the final crowdfunding phase, vying for their chance to “break through the crowd.”
Watch Zee TV’s Break Through The Crowd episodes at 8:30pm ET/9pm PT/8pm AST. Episodes will be posted online here after their official air date.
