Rapper Nicki Minaj is set to join the judging panel for the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Million Dollar Pitch Competition, an event that will award $1 million in prize money to five finalists. Actor Dean Cain is slated to host the competition, which is scheduled to take place in Washington D.C. on September 18.
Minaj, 43, will be joined on the judging panel by entrepreneur Grant Cardone and Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb and U.S. Chief Design Officer. The SBA announced the selection of its judges on Tuesday. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler stated that the competition aims to celebrate "America's legacy of free enterprise" and showcase "the essential contributions of America's small businesses."
Loeffler added that the judges will bring "invaluable real-world perspective" as the finalists compete for a share of the $1 million in growth capital. The prize money will be distributed across five awards: $400,000, $250,000, $150,000, $125,000, and $75,000, ensuring all finalists receive some funding.
The five companies competing are Compotech, Inc. of Brewer, Maine; Winton Machine of Suwanee, Georgia; Plas-Tech Tooling of Garner, Iowa; Red River of Gillette, Wyoming; and VetPowered LLC of San Diego, California. These businesses represent the manufacturing and defense technology sectors.
This marks Minaj's return to a judging role, 13 years after she served as a judge on the Fox network talent competition American Idol. Minaj publicly expressed support for former President Donald Trump in the months leading up to this announcement. She stated in an interview with Time magazine in May that her shift in political allegiance was influenced by what she perceived as a lack of attention from California Governor Gavin Newsom after her home was targeted multiple times. She also cited assistance from Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna as a factor in her decision to publicly align with Trump's MAGA movement.
Minaj had previously described herself as Trump's "number one fan" and acknowledged reservations about publicly supporting him due to concerns about alienating her fan base. Luna reportedly helped connect Minaj with federal law-enforcement officials and a private security firm.