Put on by the Entrepreneur’s Club with support from the School of Business, Startup Weekend gathers students and local community members with big ideas, mixed in expert consultants from the School of Business and community, and gives them 54 hours to take an idea from pitch to fruition. The event starts Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m. and ends with an award ceremony on Sunday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Startup Weekends were developed by Google For Entrepreneurs, part of the Mountain View, California‘s company’s effort to provide financial support and productivity tools to new business ventures. Nearly 3,000 Startup Weekends have been held in more than 150 countries.
The weekend takes the process of developing a startup and puts it on fast forward, beginning with pitches networking and pitches on Friday night.
The weekend wraps up with demonstrations in front of an audience of judges. Participants are not required to pitch ideas, and many find themselves joining teams to develop ideas.
“The experience to learn and work with a network of like-minded peers and mentors allows you to create lasting relationships and learn new skills,” says Natalie Dubbel, a Business Major and President of the Entrepreneurs Club. “You might even leave the weekend with a new Startup business ready to be launched!”
According to the organization, about 25 percent of the weekend’s teams will continue their partnerships after the event.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Startup Weekend website.