Local developers, designers, entrepreneurs and marketers will collaborate again to pitch, team-up, build and demo new products at Minnesota’s only tech event focused on real time ACTION!
This weekend warriors’ hackathon has happened in 100’s of cities across the globe from San Francisco to Athens, Greece. It’s been covered in TechCrunch, the Washington Post, ABC News, local media, and beyond. “…The energy, feedback and outcome was so positive that this place is ready for more,” said Startup Weekend COO Shane Reiser following Minnesota’s first Startup Weekend at CoCo MSP in mid-September.
A few days later, the Seattle-based nonprofit would pledge to bring it back November 19-21st at the U of M Carlson School of Management and place Minnesota amongst 30+ parallel Startup Weekends happening around the world in conjunction with Kauffman’s Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010.
Registration ($40 – $50) is capped at 75 participants and covers the overhead of organizing and executing an event of this nature, including ample food and beverage throughout the weekend. This time around, the org has offered to bundle proceeds from cash sponsors into a prize package for the overall winner; below is a mix of current prizes/sponsors, speakers, mentors and judges committed to Startup Weekend Twin Cities 2, November 19-21 at the U of M CSOM:
Prizes:
- $2,250 (and growing) cash money with no strings — courtesy of TECHdotMN, U of M Venture Center and W3i
- Three hours of free consulting with MOJO Minnesota (focus on IP, fundraising and biz logic)
- Free month of coworking from CoCo MSP
- A reserved spot at the next Minnedemo
- Complimentary annual memberships from the Minnesota High Tech Association & TiE Minnesota
Speakers:
- Friday 11/19: Qonqr Co-founders Justin Peck & Scott Davis reflect on going from idea to action, qonqering Startup Weekend 1 and building momentum.
- Friday 11/19: Pedal Brain Founder Matt Bauer talks about what it’s like being a tech entrepreneur in the trenches.
- Friday 11/19: Dan Grigsby’s topic is TBD.
- Saturday 11/20: CrashPlan Co-founder Matthew Dornquast shares experiences translating FREE products into profits.
- Saturday 11/20: Workface President Lief Larson is Entrepreneur vs. Wild — the correlation between the instincts and actions of survivors and entrepreneurs.
- Saturday 11/20: SWIFT Weather Founder Rory Groves discusses starting with little to nothing and how to be a lean machine.
Mentors:
- Saturday 11/20: Free Agent Jim Bernard
- Saturday 11/20: Qonqr Co-founder & tech consultant Scott Davis
- Saturday 11/20: Dan Grigsby
- Saturday 11/20: Professional Director of the Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship John Stavig
- Sunday 11/20: Merchant and Gould IP Attorney Ernest Grumbles
- Sunday 11/20: Pedalr Founder Andrew Korf
Judges:
- Sunday 11/21: Minnesota Cup and Magnet 360 Co-founder Scott Litman
- Sunday 11/21: Zencoder Co-founder Jon Dahl
- Sunday 11/21: Merchant and Gould IP Attorney Ernest Grumbles
- Sunday 11/21: w3i Co-founder Rob Weber
- Sunday 11/21: cSquaredE Principal Chad Eckes
So — is your idea worth some community feedback, forward movement, new connections and a few thousand dollars? Look at: Qonqr, Rock Your Block, Heavy Analytics, CartBrain, FlightCrowd, Polywiks, Mibrary, Skedadle, Run With It, Pocket Website, Inspire MPLS, Locate My Deal and SpeedWatch to get a taste of what the first Startup Weekend Twin Cities produced.
“While it’s open to all, Startup Weekend in an intensely spontaneous, creative and collaborative experience that’s definitely not for everyone,” says Reiser, “…and that’s the best part — amazing things happen when like-minded techies from the same town get together to make ideas become reality. I’ve seen it over and over again.”
Final details will be updated before the start of the event; anyone interested in adding value to Startup Weekend Twin Cities 2 can contact Shane Reiser.
