Eva Longoria to judge Pernod start-up comp

Actress Eva Longoria has joined the judging panel in Pernod Ricard’s The Venture competition, which aims to discover innovative start-ups from across the world.

Eva Longoria has been recruited as a judge for Pernod Ricard’s The Venture competition

Longoria, former star of Desperate Housewives, will sit alongside Alexandre Ricard, CEO of Pernod Ricard; Joe Huff, founder of LSTN Sound Co; and Sonal Shah, founding executive director of the Beeck Centre for Social Impact + Innovation.

Together, they will divide a portion of blended Scotch Chivas Regal’s US$1 million fund among the competition’s finalists, selected for their vision to succeed in business “while having a positive impact on the lives of others”.

In addition to her role as an actress, Longoria is also a businesswoman and philanthropist.

“We’re really excited to be announcing Eva Longoria as a judge for Chivas’ The Venture,” said Richard Black, Chivas Regal global brand director. “Following the continued success of The Eva Longoria Foundation, which helps Latinas build better futures for themselves and their families through education and entrepreneurship, Longoria has a wealth of invaluable expertise and advice to offer The Venture finalists.”

“Along with Joe Huff, Sonal Shah and Alexandre Ricard, we feel we have the perfect balance of expert judges to evaluate the finalists of this year’s competition. We look forward to seeing how people vote online over the next few weeks and which enterprises capture the imagination of the public.”

Now in its second year, The Venture competition has received over 2,500 applications from start-ups across six continents.

One finalist will represent each of the 27 participating countries in New York in July.

Following a series of quarter and semi-final pitches, the grand finalists will have just five minutes to impress the four judges with their pitch in front of a live audience at the Chivas’ The Venture final on 14 July.