Startup Weekend -- a chance to take a business
from idea to prototype in 54 hours -- is happening again.
For those who couldn’t attend the March event or those who enjoyed it so much they want to do it again, the fall version of the entrepreneurship marathon takes place Oct. 21-23 at The Bureau, 321 S. Kalamazoo Mall in Kalamazoo. Registration details can be
found here.
Organizer Ryan Goins says the event will build on the one that took place earlier in 2011. "Prior to the last Startup Weekend, there was no startup community in Kalamazoo that I was aware of," Goins says. "Now a small group of us meet regularly to talk about ideas we have and companies we are starting."
He says the most important thing about the weekends are the relationships that are forged, and the community that begins to develop.
"The more events we can do like this, the more a community will really start to develop," Goins says. "Hopefully it will encourage people that never thought about becoming entrepreneurs, to grab a hold of their own destiny and give it a shot. Especially considering the current job market."
The weekend begins with pitches given in an open mic forum on Friday night. On Saturday and Sunday teams do whatever it takes to bring about their startup vision -- code, design, research or create business plans. Everyone gets back together Sunday night to demonstrate what they've come up with.
Reportedly, more than 36 percent of Startup Weekend businesses are still alive three months after the conclusion of a Startup Weekend event and roughly 80 percent of participants plan on continuing working with their team or startup.
The event offers a chance for those attending to expand their skill set and grow as an entrepreneur. They also can learn from people that are experts in their field.
"It also is a real crash course on just how much dedication and time it takes to start a company and create a clear vision for that company," Goins says. "That's a difficult thing to do at all, let alone in a single weekend."
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave
Source: Ryan Goins, Kalamazoo Startup Weekend
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