Techstars Startup Weekend - Davidson, NC

The Davidson College Entrepreneurship Club is excited to host our inaugural Techstars Startup Weekend in collaboration with The Hurt Hub@Davidson. The weekend is open to all Davidson students, entrepreneurs, creators, builders, and interested parties from the general public. The startup weekend is a great opportunity to connect with passionate like-minded people eager to develop and build something different or new.

Facilitated by the inspirational Ilene Marcus, the startup weekend is a multi-day event where participants will experience the startup life, connect with founders and investors, and learn from industry experts, mentors, and judges.

Format: Participants grouped into teams. Teams will look to develop an idea (selected by participants) into a viable product and/or solution. Teams will then pitch their product/solution to judges.

Cost: $10 per person. Scholarships available. Please email Victoria Ochieng at [email protected] to request a scholarship. In your email, please answer one of the two following questions 1) How do you envision the Techstars weekend at Davidson contributing to your personal or professional growth?, or 2) What do you hope to gain from the Techstars Weekend at Davidson?

Schedule (more details to follow):

Friday, September 26 -- 17:30 - 22:00

Saturday, September 27 -- 09:00 - 21:00

Sunday, September 28 -- 09:00 - 19:30

FAQ:

Q: Is this event for me?

A: Yes! If you are interested in learning about startups, meeting founders, building something new, and solving interesting challenges...Techstars weekend is for you! We believe that great ideas can come from anywhere.

The event is intended to be a collaborative and inclusive forum for sharing, learning, building, and having fun. We expect each member of the startup community to be inclusive of all people and their ideas and we welcome all, regardless of experience, industry, or background.

Q: Who is allowed to attend?

A: This is an 18+ up event; we cannot accommodate minors this weekend. Beyond that we welcome people from all different backgrounds; you don’t need to be enrolled in college to attend.

Q: Do I need a team?

A: Everyone who attends the event as a participant is expected to come to the event without a team and then join and participate with a team at the event. This is important to preserve the Techstars Startup Weekend educational experience. The ideal team consists of members from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Q: Do I have to participate all three days?

A: Yes, participants are asked to attend all scheduled sessions as the weekend relies on team collaboration and engagement. Apart from the organizing team, mentors, speakers, event volunteers and judges, everyone who participates in the event is expected to participate in all three days. This is important not only to preserve your own learning experience, but also to minimize distractions or disruptions for the team you choose to join. If you have specific conflicts, please feel free to reach out to Victoria ([email protected]) to discuss.

Q: I have an idea to tackle during the weekend. How do I pitch it?

A: Our TechStars Facilitator for the weekend, Ilene Marcus, will take us through a fun process on Friday night explaining how to pitch ideas. You don’t need to pitch an idea, but we highly encourage you to. You can pitch an idea you've been thinking about for years, or something you think of at the last minute during the event. Please don’t pitch an idea that you’ve already been developing or have been working on outside of Startup Weekend. The point of the event is to learn how to go from ideation to product.

These initial pitches are short (60 seconds) with just you and the mic. Generally, they should cover:

• State who you are and what your background is
• Mention what problem you’re trying to solve
• Explain the product idea and how it solves the problem
• What skill sets you need on the team like a developer, marketer, designer, etc.

Q: What lodging is available?

A: Participants are responsible for providing their own transportation and accommodation. There are two nearby lodging options. The Davidson Village Inn is a small hotel in downtown Davidson about a 2 minute walk from the Hurt Hub (https://davidsoninn.com/). The Homewood Suites by Hilton is a 3-4 minute drive to the Hurt Hub (https://www.guestreservations.com/Homewood-Suites-By-Hilton-Davidson/booking?A=1)

Q: Do I need to bring my own food?

A: No! All food will be provided during the weekend. If you have any specific dietary restrictions, please put them down on the registration form.

Q: Does Techstars have a website?

A: Yes! Check out their website to learn more about what you can expect at the Davidson event. https://www.techstars.com/communities/startup-weekend

Host or Publisher The Hurt Hub@Davidson