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.

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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.

Schedule

Friday

Aug 9
  • 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

Aug 10
  • 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

Aug 11
  • 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!
Platinum Sponsors
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Speakers
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Judges
Silver Sponsors
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Coaches

Gina Bongiovi

Attorney, MBA   |  LinkedIn

As one of the few native Las Vegans left in town, Gina is proud to still call Las Vegas home. She's also proud to call herself a Rebel, having graduated magna cum laude from the UNLV Honors College with a B.S.B.A. in marketing and minor in business law in 2001. In 2007, Gina was one of the first students to earn a dual law degree/MBA from the William S. Boyd School of Law and College of Business at UNLV.

In 2005, Gina started a marketing company and couldn't find a lawyer that was willing or able to help a startup like hers. After hearing similar stories from other entrepreneurs, she decided to dedicate her practice to serving startups and small businesses. With business education paired with real-world experience, she provides her clients with business-minded legal advice that addresses all facets of business ownership. She serves as a “consigliere”, much like Robert Duvall's character in “The Godfather,” except with considerably less violence.

Gina has helped found two nonprofits – Dress for Success Southern Nevada and Vegas Shepherd Rescue – and is working on a dog-related third. She currently serves as pro bono counsel for the Vegas Shepherd Rescue, Xemplar Advisory Board Member, LexisNexis Firm Manager Advisory Board Member, Board Member for the Nevada Bar's Solo and Small Practice Section, and Advisory Council Chair of Vegas Young Professionals.

Personally, she's an animal-loving, wine-drinking, shoe-addicted yogi and dog mom who loves to cook, hike, and spend time by the ocean.

Jacqueline Jensen

TicketCake COO

Jacqueline is a Founder and the COO of TicketCake.com, a natural born doer, and an enthusiastic member of the #VegasTech community. She has been a relationship builder, problem solver, social marketer, project manager, and finance nerd. She was on the path to becoming a standout in the business banking world, but left to take a shot at following her own entrepreneurial ambitions. Today, she is inspired by serendipity and other entrepreneurs she meets.

Media Sponsors
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Organizers
Adam Kramer
Michele Rose
Claudia Ibet Perez
Blog
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Upcoming Events
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Aug 9-Aug 11 2013
Past Events
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May 3-5 2013
Jan 4-6 2013
Jul 13-15 2012