Nicki Minaj to judge Trump administration small business competition

Rapper Nicki Minaj has been named as one of five celebrity judges for the ‘Patriot Pitch Competition,’ a small business contest sponsored by the Trump administration. The event is part of the ‘Freedom 250’ celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Organized by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the competition features five finalist companies: Compotech, Inc., Plas-Tech Tooling, Red River, VetPowered LLC, and Winton Machine. These businesses will compete for a share of a $1 million prize pool, with the first-place winner receiving $400,000. According to the SBA, the funds are provided by Clover Network rather than taxpayer money.

Minaj will join fellow judges Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia and private equity manager Grant Cardone. Actor Dean Cain is scheduled to host the televised finale, which will take place in Washington, D.C., on September 18.