Judge Website Sign-Up Guide

New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC) Judge Website Sign-Up Guide This guide walks judges step-by-step through how to sign up for NYBPC using the official website. It is formatted to work both as a downloadable PDF and as a blog post. Image placeholders are included throughout. Introduction Welcome, and thank you for serving as a judge for the New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC). This guide will walk you through the steps to: • Create your judge account • Complete your judge profile • Receive account approval Estimated time to complete sign-up: 5–10 minutes What You’ll Need Before You Start Before beginning, please have: • A valid email address • Basic professional information for your profile • A headshot (can be added later) Step 1: Visit NYBPC.org 1. Open your web browser. 2. Go to NYBPC.org. 3. Click the SIGN UP button located in the top-right corner of the homepage. Step 2: Create Your Judge Account 1. After clicking SIGN UP, enter your email address. 2. Create a password. 3. Select your role as Judge. 4. Submit the form to create your account. Step 3: Complete Your Judge Profile After creating your account, you will be prompted to complete your profile. Please complete every question on the profile form. • If a question is not relevant to you, enter NA. • If you do not have a headshot ready, you may skip that portion — we can collect it later. If you have any questions while completing your profile, please contact: thomas@upstatecapital.org Step 4: Account Approval Email Once your profile has been submitted, your account must be approved. • Be on the lookout for an Account Approval Email. • If you have not received an approval email within 24 hours, please contact: thomas@upstatecapital.org You will not be able to access judging materials until your account has been approved. Troubleshooting & Support If you experience any issues during sign-up: • Double-check that you selected the role Judge. • Check your spam or junk folder for approval emails. • Reach out directly for assistance: thomas@upstatecapital.org