What Is Startup Weekend?

What is Startup Weekend?

Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, teams and communities. Come share ideas, form teams, and launch startups.

Startup Weekend Global Site

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Fanshawe College


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Ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

The professional and personal challenges, the high and lows, the failures and the success?

Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world in 2011.

The non-profit organization is headquartered in Seattle, Washington but Startup Weekend organizers and facilitators can be found in over 200 cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa to London to Brazil, people around the globe are coming together for weekend long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams, and start companies.

All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams organically form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and then it’s a 54 hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback.

Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of an entrepreneur, register now for the best weekend of your life!

Schedule

Friday

Feb 8
  • Registration Starts
  • Dinner & Networking
  • Welcome & Speakers
  • Pitches Start
  • Attendees vote for the top ideas
  • Teams start forming and discussing ideas
  • Start to formalize teams and take an inventory of skills. Be honest, and direct about what resources and skills are needed for the weekend. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow

Saturday

Feb 9
  • Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • Teams formed and setting up workspace for the weekend
  • Lunch
  • Call for needs & skills
  • Coaches help teams one-on-one. They are here to help!
  • Dinner
  • Mid weekend check-in, status reports, call for help
  • Finished for the day. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow

Sunday

Feb 10
  • Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • Call for help (this is self motivated, so don’t be shy)
  • Lunch
  • Coaches arrive… ASK QUESTIONS
  • Gut check. Start prepping for presentations
  • Dinner
  • FINAL PRESENTATIONS
  • Judging & awards
  • Wrapup
  • Go home!
Organizers
Stuart Murray
Lynne Blunt
Francis Yanga
John Makaran
Erica Gringhuis
Tier 1 Sponsors
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Judges

Greg Picken

Communications & Digital Media Specialist, TechAlliance

As a communications professional, critic, gamer, husband, parent, and consumer, Greg Picken likes to mix and match a number of different hats as he pursues different professional and personal opportunities. As the Communications and Digital Media Specialist for TechAlliance, Greg is helping to spread the word about the region's success stories and the opportunities available to entrepreneurs. Greg is also the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of GamerPops.com, a family-oriented review site, and co-founder of Project Play, a charity gaming event that donated over $5000 to the London area in its first year.

Jack Adams

Industry Support Officer - London Economic Development Corporation

With a background in web media communications and business development, and past work experience in the software, electricity, and forestry industries, Jack currently provides growth and retention support for local businesses as Industry Support Officer at the London Economic Development Corporation. In his career, Jack has assisted numerous entrepreneurs and start-up businesses move from concept to commercialization.

Richard Chmara

Portfolio Manager - RBC Dominion Securities Private Investment Management

Richard Chmara is a Portfolio Manager with RBC Dominion Securities Private Investment Management. He has over 20 years experience working with self-employed business owners and professionals. His aim is to ensure his clients have a high degree of comfort with their retirement money and have a realistic plan for living their life goals. Richard holds both an undergraduate degree in Business Strategy and an MBA in Finance and has attended the prestigious London School of Economics in England. He and his wife live in Woodstock Ontario. Richard has a passion for backcountry hiking end enjoys the sport of kickboxing.

Mentors

John Pollock

Director of BizInc   |  LinkedIn

Martin Volkening

Phil Cook

Trane

Larry Lau

Partner at ATMOS Marketing

Larry Lau is a Partner at ATMOS Marketing, a digital marketing firm that specializes in increasing sales, lead generation and online brand awareness. Having spoken at several large marketing conferences, Larry is also a part-time instructor at Fanshawe College teaching Google AdWords in Continuing Education.

By creating strategies and campaigns using digital marketing channels like search engine marketing, social media and various web tools, ATMOS Marketing helps businesses effectively market to their desired audience online. Having worked with local businesses to national brands in Canada and the United States, ATMOS Marketing has been able to develop a successful track record with a large portfolio of recognized clients.

Marc Dufault

Marc is a double major in engineering and business with highly developed technical and analytical skills. He earned his Bachelor of Computer Engineering & Management from McMaster University in 2006, and his MBA with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from the Richard Ivey School of Business in 2012. Marc derived his own baseball analytics which he used as a head coach to win provincial baseball titles in 2009 and 2010. He is currently applying his analytics and business skills in the mobile gaming space, most recently as the Head of Distribution and Analytics at Big Viking Games in London.

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Mar 23-25 2012