The Demo Day Readiness Guide
Demo Day
March 31, 2026
Washington, D.C.
What Is the Demo Day Guide?
About Demo Day
- Demo Day is an event in which participants of the accelerator present their refined capitalization ideas to a group of evaluators with the purpose of receiving feedback and making connections that might support the continued development of their solution.
Write your awesome label here.
Write your awesome label here.
Demo Day Format
- Date: March 31, 2026 | Location: Washington, DC (hosted by OFN)
- Format: 10-minute pitch + 15-minute Q&A
- *Travel stipends will be issued for cohort members participating in Demo Day.
Demo Day is similar to a “pitch day”.
- Present your innovation in a compelling 10-minute pitch
- Answer questions from funders and partners (15-minutes)
- Network with potential supporters and collaborators
- Demonstrate your learning journey and growth
- Receive rubric scores capturing your progress and presentation quality
Write your awesome label here.
Write your awesome label here.
Strong Demo Day presentations demonstrate:
- Clear, compelling storytelling
- Evidence-based validation
- Realistic feasibility and implementation plan
- Significant community impact potential
- Pathway for field-wide adoption
- Confidence and prepartion
Path to Demo Day Readiness
To qualify for Demo Day you must pass the “Readiness Check”.
All three components must be completed:
- Submit draft deck (≥70% complete) - February 12, 2026
- Complete run-through session with feedback incorporation - March 12, 2026
- Submit revised deck for final approval - March 20, 2026
- Your Innovation Ally will help you prepare and practice for Demo Day.
In addition to passing the above Readiness Check components, you will also need to demonstrate continued progress and program engagement by completing the following:
- Complete pre-work for each session: this helps ensure you show up prepared to engage with your peers and facilitators.
- Submit the remaining roadmap sections on time
- Engage in at least 10 hours of technical assistance
- Make at least 3 new stakeholder/funder connections
How It All Connects
The Six Module Journey
Each module builds on the previous one, taking you from problem identification to Demo Day presentation. Each section addresses a section of your Demo Day deck.
1 - Problem Framing & Discovery
Meeting on October 9, 2025
Session Focus: Define a well-researched, data-driven problem aligned to field priorities
Problem Statement & Stakeholder Map
Due November 7th
Due November 7th
Your Demo Day Deck Must Include
2 - Solution Ideation & Landscape Scan
Meeting on November 13, 2025
Session Focus: Generate creative solutions with clear stakeholder value and differentiation. Understanding of the field and who else is working to solve the problem.
Top 1-2 solution concepts with replicability notes
Due December 5th
Due December 5th
Your Demo Day Deck Must Include
3 - Concept Development & Validation
Meeting on December 11, 2025
Session Focus - Test assumptions and create a plan for how to gather stakeholder feedback
Validated concept, Value proposition, Validation plan
Due January 9th
Due January 9th
Your Demo Day Deck Must Include
4 - Feasibility & Impact Modeling
Meeting on January 15, 2026
Session Focus: Demonstrate operational, financial, and regulatory feasibility with clear metrics
Feasibility findings and Impact modeling
Due February 6th
Due February 6th
*Begin building your demo day deck
Your Demo Day Deck Must Include
5 - Pilot Planning & Ecosystem Engagement
Meeting on February 12, 2025
Session Focus - Create actionable pilot with funding model and partnerships
Pilot plan & Stakeholder connections
Due March 6th
Due March 6th
Submit your draft demo day deck (>70% complete)
Prepare for March run-through session with peers
Your Demo Day Deck Must Include
6 - Packaging & Demo Day Preparation
Meeting on March 12, 2026
Session Focus: Session will act as a practice run with peer feedback
Final Roadmap & Demo Day deck
Due March 20th
Due March 20th
Your Demo Day Deck Must Include
Demo Day
March 31, 2026
Your Demo Day Deck Must Include
Your roadmap is your working document to create your 6 slide Demo day deck
1 - Problem
Detailed explanation of the industry problem you're solving.
2 - Partnerships
Key stakeholder relationships and roles.
3 - Solution
Your innovative approach and how it works.
4 - Impact
Quantified community development outcomes.
5 - Validation
Evidence and stakeholder feedback supporting your concept.
6 - Feasibility
Operational, financial, and regulatory considerations.
7 - Capital Structure
Funding model and resource requirements.
8 - Pilot Plan
Steps to implement and test your innovation.
9 - Adoption Pathway
How other CDFIs can replicate this.
10 - Future Vision
Long-term scalability and sector advancement.
Demo Day Readiness Timeline
All three readiness components must be complete by March 20, 2026!
Understanding the Rubric for Demo Day
Your solution will be assessed across four key indicators using a 0-4 rating scale. Each module contributes to building strength in these areas.
Write your awesome label here.
Who Evaluates Your Work?
Internal OFN Program Staff
Focus: Program alignment, consistency, progress tracking
External Industry Expert
Focus: Innovation quality, market viability, technical feasibility
Peer CDFI Review
Focus: Practical implementation, replicability, operation reality
Funding Opportunity
OFN will open a round of grants for accelerator participants in March 2026, with applications closing a few weeks after Demo Day. Demo Day will be one data point considered as part of the evaluation process for a grant award from OFN.
In other words, there will not be a grant decision made at Demo Day or solely based on Demo Day, but your performance will be considered during the grant award evaluation process.
In other words, there will not be a grant decision made at Demo Day or solely based on Demo Day, but your performance will be considered during the grant award evaluation process.
OFN will open a round of grants for accelerator participants in March 2026.
What if you're struggling?
Reach out to your program support team at accelerator@ofn.org immediately if you're falling behind or need extra support.
