Local entrepreneurs will get intensive, hands-on experience in launching a startup business at the region’s first “Startup Weekend,” a 54-hour event to be held Friday through Sunday at The Entrepreneurs Center in Dayton.
“Startup Weekend events are fun, accessible way for attendees to ‘try out’ entrepreneurship,” said Dave Best, the Dayton event’s organizer. Established by a Seattle-based nonprofit, Startup Weekend teaches participants the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures.
Startup Weekends start with Friday night pitches; continue through brainstorming, business plan development and basic prototype creation; and culminate in Sunday night demonstrations and presentations.
Participants create working startups during the event and are able to collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks, including both technical and non-technical entrepreneurs.
“We may see a few new companies come out of the weekend,” said Best, a senior software engineer at LinQuest Corp. in Beavercreek. “Even if we don’t, we will have laid the groundwork for future endeavors by nurturing and building an entrepreneurial community.”
Justin Bayer, founder of Welcome to College, will be the event speaker. Judges include Jeremy Lloyd, creative director of Sparkboxx; Chris Wallace, chief executive at Cambium Technologies; and Shawon Brown-Gullette, an entrepreneur and salon owner.
Registration is $99 and the deadline is Thursday. The Entrepreneurs Center is at 714 E. Monument Ave. in Dayton. For more information and registration, visit the website at dayton.startupweekend.org.
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