TechFuel: Networking Event, May 8th, 2008 - 5:00pm-7:00pm, Fox & Hound (Sanderlin)
Mark your calendar’s for May 8th, 2008 for the first TechFuel Event which will also serve as the Kick-off of LaunchMemphis activities.
Inspired by other networking events occurring across the country like Tech Cocktail, TechFuel is designed for technologists, entrepreneurs, media (bloggers), and other business professionals to meet, and share ideas in a fun and open atmosphere.
With the first TechFuel event we will also Kick-off LaunchMemphis activities formally. It is our hope to continue these events to grow the Memphis tech community and better connect members. The event is open to the public, and will be held at the Fox and Hound on Sanderlin.
Memphis Business Journal: Next great company could be in Memphis
Memphis Startup Weekend was recently featured in the Memphis Business Journal. Check it out here . . .
Memphis Business Journal
Friday, February 22, 2008
Next great company could be in Memphis
After beating out such cities as San Diego and Indianapolis, the city of Memphis was selected to be the next site for Startup Weekend — an event that aims to bring together local entrepreneurs with the goal of creating a real company in just 54 hours.
Memphis will join cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., which have all hosted Startup Weekend events.
“Over 600 people in Memphis have said we want Startup Weekend here,” says Eric Matthews, Mercury Technology Labs founder, who is helping organize the event. “It is a real testimony to what people want here as far as building an entrepreneurial community.”
Matthews says Memphis Startup Weekend will be held May 30-June 1 and will be hosted at EmergeMemphis at 516 Tennessee St.
EmergeMemphis is helping organize the event along with Matthews and Harry Brown, a local entrepreneur.
At the event, participants will decide on an idea for a company the first night.
After a decision has been made on a company, participants will split up and work on all the issues that come with starting a company — from branding to public relations.
Participants will be rewarded with shares of the company, which ideally could become operational in the future. Matthews says five of the original Startup Weekend businesses are still around and 10 more don’t have the funding, but could be viable businesses.
From staff reports
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Daily News: Biz Startup Event Slated for Late May
Memphis Startup Weekend was recently featured in the Daily News. Check it out here . . .
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Biz Startup Event Slated for Late May
ROSALIND GUY | The Daily News |The possibilities are endless.
With a group of 100 people, experts in various fields and many different visions, there’s no telling what ideas will come out of the weekend event that br….
Startup Weekend Comes to Memphis: May 30th - June 1st, 2008
Startup Weekend has select Memphis, TN as it’s latest city to visit — basically, 100 community members (those that register to participate, even you), come together over the course of a weekend to found a new technology startup company in Memphis — yes, you can walk away with founding level equity for your effort.
More Details . . .
Startup Weekend brings motivated individuals from the community together as company founders to decide what to make and earn an equal share of stock in the developed business. Attendees are responsible for bringing the ideas, desire, and passion to the project and walk out of the room with a brand new business by Sunday night. In this short 52 hour period, there will be entrepreneurs, lawyers, marketers, business developers, designers, technology developers, and many other individuals all working together to build a business from scratch. Think about it: 100 people times 52 hours is about 1-2 years of a small startup crew working full time. The outcomes are great, building not only a company in a weekend, but also further binding our entrepreneurial community together. We need all sorts of skills and we want you on board.
Memphis Startup Weekend will be held from May 30th at 6pm through June 1st at midnight. Hosted by EmergeMemphis and the Mercury Launchpad you will need to register in advance at http://memphis.startupweekend
Jump starting your mind for Startup Weekend
Someone recently recommended the show Startup Junkies as a good show about the startup life. If you have never seen it, I have to highly recommend it. Having been through one funded startup and having started 2 other companies, I have to say that it brought back memories (some of which I wish had stayed forgotten). This show can really give you a feel for what goes on in terms of the pressure to execute, get funding, sell, etc. as well as the constant awareness of the cost of failure to achieve goals. If you’re joining us for the weekend, I highly recommend watching at least a few episodes of this show–it’s on Comcast HD in Memphis (851 for you lazy people out there), but you can watch some episodes online, too.
There’s also a good show on the same channel called Bobby G: Adventure Capitalist, but that’s a little less up my alley, personally. Still, it’s a good way to see some ideas that get shot down and more of a turnaround story, but mainly you get to see another point of view. Enjoy and looking forward to seeing and meeting everyone.
LaunchMemphis Getting Going
LaunchMemphis was recently established by Memphis area leaders to grow an entrepreneurial community. By undertaking a series of events throughout the year all designed to bring focus to entrepreneurial activities in Memphis, TN, we hope to deliver new technology business startups to our economy.
While we will be working to expand LaunchMemphis activities to be year round, our present focus is on a series of activities to occur in late Spring and early Summer of 2008. We will kick off the activities with a networking event focused on technology and startups and end with an investor forum where startup companies at the seed or venture stage can pitch for funding to move forward. This year, we have the privilege of hosting Startup Weekend in Memphis, a national program in which a new startup business is created in 52 hours by Memphians. For more information visit our Events Page.
Spring 2008 Schedule
LaunchMemphis is moving forward with a series of events to stimulate entrepreneurship in the Mid-South. We hope you will join us in growing a rich startup community and building new business ventures.
LaunchMemphis Kick-off: Tech Fuel Technology and Startup Networking Event
May 8th, 2008, 5pm-7pm
Location: Fox and Hound (5101 Sanderlin Ave)
Sponsors: Pending
Inspired by other networking events occurring across the country like Tech Cocktail, the LaunchMemphis Kick-off is designed for technologists, entrepreneurs, media (bloggers), and other business professionals to meet, and share ideas in a fun and open atmosphere. The event is open to the public. With the LaunchMemphis Kick-off we hope to see the Memphis tech community better connected. These networking events we hope to continue quarterly.
Innova/Bioworks LaunchLunch with Speaker Dr. Kevin Boggs on Technology Transfer Spin-Off Companies
May 13th, 2008, 11:30am Networking begins, 12:00pm Program begins
Location: Bioworks
Sponsors: Innova
RSVP if Attending to Courdria Pointer — cpointer@memphisbioworks.org
The purpose of this program is to connect audience members with others drawn to a speaker by similar interests, while providing the benefits of an educational forum on a critical topic.
Startup Weekend Participant Gathering in conjunction with FedEx Institute
May 22nd, 2008, 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Location: FedEx Institute of Technology
Sponsors: FedEx Institute of Technology, Boscos Beer
For the those participants that have registered for Startup Weekend in Memphis, this event will provide an opportunity for the founders to network and get familiar with knowledge, skills, and backgrounds of fellow founders. This is to directly address prior weaknesses that prior Startup Weekend cities have cited.
Startup Weekend Memphis: Build Community and a Company in a Weekend
May 30th, May 31st, and June 1st, 2008, (6pm Friday Start)
Location: EmergeMemphis and Mercury Launchpad
Sponsors: Memphis Regional Chamber, Center City Commission, Cadre5, Flying Circle, Baker Donelson, Naked Lion Brewing Company, Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza, Neely’s BBQ
Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of technologists and entrepreneurs to build a community and company in a weekend. These motivated individuals come together as company founders to decide what to make and earn an equal share of stock in the developed business. Attendees are responsible for bringing the desire and passion to the project and walk out of the room with a brand new business, in a short 54 hours. Startup Weekend is a national program that has selected Memphis, TN as one of the cities it will visit this year (for more information visit www.startupweekend.com).
LaunchMemphis Early Stage Investment Forum
June 9th, 2008
Location: FedEx Institute of Technology
Sponsors: Innova, Mercury Technology Labs, FedEx Institute of Technology
Raising capital for a startup is without question one of the most challenging aspects of growing a business. We hope to alleviate some this pain through a venture forum where new and emerging businesses are brought together with early stage venture capital firms and angel investors. If you have a business in the pre-seed or early stage seed or angel stage, this is your chance to pitch investors. Alternatively, if you are an investor looking for up and coming companies in and around Memphis, we invite you to join the forum. This venture forum is exclusively for Mid-South startup companies. Investors have committed including Innova Memphis and the Mercury Alpha Fund by Mercury Technology Labs, among many others.
Boot Camp: Intensive Session to Take Business Ideas into Business Plans
June 14th, 2008
Location: Mercury Launchpad
Sponsors: Mercury Technology Labs
To catalyze entrepreneurship, an intensive “boot camp” session will be offered for startup teams and individuals looking to gather the knowledge and skills that will help take business ideas and articulate them in business plans. This one day session covers many important start-up issues and provides prospective entrepreneurs detailed feedback on their ideas and planning. Furthermore, participating entrepreneurs benefit from networking with other like-minded individuals going through similar experiences. These sessions genuinely help entrepreneurs move forward with solid feedback and real plans for their business. To sign up and learn more contact Chris at chris@mercurylaunchpad.com.
