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We’re really excited to bring you the pitches from the innovators at Startup Weekend Detroit tonight, starting at 6pm (EST). So tune in then, live from Techtown. Follow the hashtag #swdetroit on Twitter for more conversation. To see some background on what Startup Weekend Detroit is, see our previous post.
Detroit usually has the image of a factory floor in the eyes of many, churning out car after car.
But quite literally, this weekend, a former factory floor will become a floor for ideas and creating new companies.
Startup Weekend returns to Detroit, this time at TechTown, over the weekend where new ideas, companies and products are going to be devised. Two days of intensive company-building will ensue, all for a $5,000 prize provided by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
“Startup Weekend Detroit offers attendees a crash course in entrepreneurship,” said Brandon Chesnutt, local organizer for Startup Weekend. “Teams works together to conceptualize and launch their new ideas in single weekend. It is like a business incubator on steroids. It’s the perfect spark to ignite Detroit’s entreprenurial and startup community.”
Sponsors have stepped up in spades – from all kinds of sectors and include Better Made Potato Chips, BW3’s, Quicken Loans, Momentum, and a slew of others who are committed to fostering the business community.
There are six categories of people organizers are looking for from all kinds of backgrounds – you can sign up here until the event starts tonight (Friday) at 6pm – and teams self-select after a pitch session. From my experience last year, many ideas started one way and then transformed into something even better by the end of the 54 hour session.
If you’re not up for spending your weekend making a company, you can see the final ideas being pitched to a panel of experts this weekend. We’ll be streaming live from TechTown starting at 6:00pm Sunday night. You can watch by visiting this link.
I’ll leave you with a video of what happened earlier this year to give you a flavor of what we’re in for.
Startup Weekend Detroit 2010 is officially in the books. The weekend saw almost fifty hungry would-be entrepreneurs taking on the challenge of transforming business concepts to actionable ideas in 54 hours. As the 5 p.m. judging deadline loomed, the weary participants put the finishing touches on their presentations in hopes of winning the title of “Million Dollar Idea.”
Several interesting things happened this weekend. Ideas that were voted on to move forward earlier in the weekend evolved from concept to presentation. Websites, blogs and Twitter accounts were created. Logos sprung up and programming databases ensued. Teams solidified, creative juices flowed and the participants walked away with at least an appreciation for how hard starting a business from scratch can be.
Among the businesses created:
Cause Crazy, a business that raises money for non-profit organizations by having people donate to watch friends or local celebrities perform stunts on camera.
Salt Codes, an idea that uses QR technology to help bars identify the communities that patronize them while connecting with their new patrons.
Winsphere, a way to track your progress on goals and allow you to update your friends as well.
Blitz Battle combined football, internet chat and geo-location games like Foursquare to give football fans the feeling of hanging out in a sports bar from the comfort of their own couch.
Reframe Detroit, a social marketing organization aiming to change the basic conditions of Detroiters.
NakedDetroit, a 24-hour news network about Detroit with user-generated content.
SiteFog, a cloud computing solution that does not require companies to lease expensive server space.
The judges, which included representatives from The Kaufman Foundation and Bill Highway, awarded the titles of “Most Fun Business” to Cause Crazy and the “Million Dollar Idea” to SiteFog.
Winning a title was important for bragging rights, but Startup Weekend has the potential to do so much more. It was a chance for several people to work together to get their flex their creative muscles while learning what it will take to get a business off the ground. It was also an opportunity for those participating to prepare for a business pitch, a critical step in attracting investment into a business idea.
Perhaps most importantly, it was a sign that Metro Detroit is on its way to reclaiming the title “Innovation Capital.”
Editor’s Note: The Detroit Regional News Hub was a sponsor of this event.We’re excited to be live streaming the Startup Weekend Detroit pitches. The embedded video is below, going live at 5pm EST from Wayne State University.
What do you have when you combine 48 passionate people and 19 creative business ideas packed into one auditorium on the campus of Wayne State University? The answer: Startup Weekend Detroit. [more below video]
For someone new to the idea of a Startup Weekend, Friday night begins with a little networking, dinner and “PitchFire.” PitchFire is when people get two minutes to convince the room they have an idea that can succeed. The ideas ranged the gamut from a mobile classroom to a website where people with food allergies can easily find restaurants they can eat at safely. At the end, everyone gets tickets to vote on the ideas they liked best and are willing to support.
Next people with pitches immediately went out to lobby for their idea. They had 45 minutes to get as many votes as they can, which quickly became an opportunity for the passionate to start forming their teams. Team formation is critical for several reasons.
The more technical ideas need more technical expertise, and the people with expertise were in high demand. Ideas with a more marketing and media focus were pining for the best marketers in the room to join their team.
In the end, six ideas were selected and teams were solidified. They will be working together (and we’ll be checking in on them) until Sunday at 4pm to define, refine and prepare their ideas for judging by a panel of potential investors. Along the way, entrepreneurs will be dropping in to give short speeches about how they got their start and what pitfalls await the teams as they develop their business ideas. Bonds will be formed, business alliances will grow while the entrepreneurial spirit of Detroit will be on display for the Startup Weekend world to witness.
Slideshow by webdesign
