LaunchMemphis celebrates our fifth year of providing support to early stage entrepreneurs, and growing Memphis’ innovation economy. A few of our favorite highlights:

• Our highly interactive, hands-on programming includes 48 Hour Launch, Business BOOSTcamp, BarCamp Memphis, Ignite Memphis and MemTech events
• The Launchpad is Memphis’ first entrepreneurial co-working space
• Through programming and ad hoc mentoring we’ve groomed 130+ entrepreneurs
• We’ve delivered 1800+ connections to our entrepreneurial community
• We’re a member of MemphisED/Shelby Growth Alliance, and Startup Tennessee
• We were a local stakeholder in CEOs for Cities’ Opportunity Challenge
• Our principles have been applied in the development of EcoLaborate, Fuel Film, 48 Hour Music Launch, and the U of M’s new Entrepreneurial Journalism course

Now we ask that you help us further develop Memphis’ entrepreneurial community by contributing to our new $5 for 5 campaign: by clicking below, you can set up a recurring monthly donation of only $5 for the next 12 months. As a registered 501(c)(3), your support goes a long way in helping us to empower entrepreneurial action. We thank you in advance, and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!

Who should attend? Entrepreneurs who are starting a company are strongly encouraged to join us! But our signature focus on entrepreneurial thinking and process is valuable for small business owners, non-profits, or anyone planning to expand into a new customer base or product line.

Date/Time: Saturday, January 28 8:30am- 4:00pm
Cost: $40 per person. (Lunch and materials included)
Location: EmergeMemphis Building. 516 Tennessee St.
Get Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2617354578

During Memphis’ most unique high school opportunity, young people in grades 9-12 will collaboratively pitch, develop and launch technology-based businesses plans that address real student issues. Through guidance from “real world” industry experts, students will learn how to convert a creative idea into a viable business model. Their hands-on process will include customer discovery, product refinement, user experience, revenue options, marketing strategies and even presentation skills for investor pitches.

When 24 Hour Launch concludes on Saturday evening, participants will present legitimate business plans to the Memphis community. Even more, they’ll possess a valuable problem-solving toolkit that will help them apply entrepreneurial principles to any future endeavor or career path.

Instructors: LaunchMemphis and industry experts
Date/Time: Friday, January 20; 4;00-7:00 pm, and Saturday, January 21; 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Cost:$25
Location: Hutchison School. 1740 Ridgeway Road.
Get Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1921287623

• An intense 90-day program- called ‘bootcamp’ for a reason- that pushes entrepreneurs through the discovery process, to scaling and pitch perfecting;
• Mentors representing a wide array of backgrounds that provide business and industry experience, and domain expertise;
• $15,000 in seed capital.

Seed Hatchery is gearing up for its Spring 2012 cohort, and is taking applications through January 7. While there is no set criteria for the type of idea selected, their programming and level of funding is usually most suitable for information technology-based products and services.

Learn more about Seed Hatchery’s process and programming, and check out their inaugural companies. Also take a look at an excerpt from this blog post from Work for Pie’s Cliff McKinney, as he shares from experience why Seed Hatchery is not for the faint of heart…and why that makes it a game changer:

…It was an awakening, to say the least.  Turns out everything I thought mattered didn’t, and everything I thought was true wasn’t (except for the bit about the genius co-founder), and everything I had learned wasn’t relevant anymore.  By the end of that first week, I was huddled in a corner with my rifle, crying, hoping the whole thing would just blow up and take me along with it.’

But I kept coming back, because it was the most awesome thing I had ever done.  Humbling, yes, but awesome nonetheless.  I was doing THIS.  I was being brought to my knees HERE, doing OUR THING.  We didn’t answer to anyone but ourselves.  We were keeping late nights because we wanted to, not because some freaking busybody micro-manager in another department needs her TPS reports by noon tomorrow.  We were living the dream!

And we were getting better.  Bit by bit.  By week two the pitch had improved.  We met mentors who had been there and were willing to guide us through the trials and tribulations.  We were doing customer research and starting to turn our crappy little idea into something that just might work.

We had this amazing, awesome group of cohort companies, each with great entrepreneurs and talented individuals, helping us along the way.  We were making progress, and we were doing it at a speed that my counterparts in “the real world” wouldn’t even be able to comprehend.

BarCamp isn’t just a Web 2.0 conference. It’s an unconference.
What does that mean, exactly? Well… that’s up to you.

The entire event will be crafted by attendees (you), so you can learn about the specific technologies, trends, gadgets you really want to learn about – and hear from the people you find interesting. We’ll be voting first thing in the morning to determine the day’s sessions. Totally crowd-sourced!

Sessions might be presentations, panels, Q-and-A with specific BarCampers. Or you may want to participate in a  roundtable discussions  (or Core Conversations, as we call them) with groups of folks bouncing ideas and learning from others’ experiences.

Check out the Topics page to see a listing of some of the presentations you’ll be able to vote for.

Questions or concerns? Let us know! Or, if you’d like to submit a presentation idea, please use the form here. Thanks!

Please follow BarCamp Memphis on Twitter at Twitter.com/BarCampMemphis or on Facebook at Facebook.com/BarCampMemphis and talk about BarCamp with your peers, colleagues and friends.

BarCamp Memphis is presented by LaunchMemphis, LunaWeb and Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Enlighten us, but make it quick.

LaunchMemphis and MemphisConnect have partnered again to inspire, educate and entertain the community through Ignite Memphis 3. Sixteen speakers will each be given the stage for five minutes- the exact time needed for their 20 slides to auto-advance every 15 seconds.

Join us November 10 at Bioworks from 5:30-9:00pm for a fun and enlightening evening complete with drinks and light hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online here.

Many thanks to Memphis Bioworks Foundation and LunaWeb for sponsoring Ignite Memphis 3!

Check out the evening lineup:

1. Derwin Sisnett The Psychology of a Healthy Community
2. Elizabeth Cawein Forget About the RIAA: Paying for Music Does a City Good (And why you should ALWAYS buy the tee shirt)
3. Stuart McGehee YouTube and Corporate America
4. Katie West Brain Trust: Investment in Children Ages 0-3
5. Madan Birla How to Gain Acceptance of Your Ideas
6. Jonathan Mccarver THIS IS WHY YOU ARE DUMB!
7. Jessica Lotz The Teacher Effectiveness Movement: Revolutionizing Memphis’s Greatest Economic Resource
8. Dan Price Stirred, NOT Shaken! (How James Bond Killed the Martini)

9. Amanda Kohr Sex in the City: Think You’re Safe?
10. Luther Mercer Citizenship: Awareness, Responsibility and Engagement.
11. Laurel Amatangelo The Wonderful World of ComiCostuming
12. Peter Nelson Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture: An Unlikely Marriage for a Healthy Future
13. Jen Simmons Your restaurant’s website made me lose my appetite.
14. Kevin Mirales The Lazy Man’s Guide to Product Development
15. Angela Foster When Your Fridge Talks Smack to Your Washer (or There Has to Be More to LBS Than Foursquare)
16. Zachary Whitten The Secret History of Memphis Tennessee

http://launchmemphis.eventbrite.com/

Questions, concerns, sponsorship inquiries: chris@launchmemphis.com

Donate to support entrepreneurship.

Super Sweet Golden Ticket
One ticket to attend them all! Buy a special LaunchMemphis Golden Ticket and receive the following admission to our entire Fall Season of Entrepreneurship!
1 admission to all “tech cocktails” for rest of year (5)
1 admission to all “intro to memtech” events (4)
1 barcamp admission
1 ticket to business plan bootcamp
1 ticket to Gov 2.0 camp
2 tickets to ignite
1 admission to all white board sessions
access to launchpad
You’ll be a LaunchMemphis VIP, and not have to make numerous credit card transactions for all of our great events!
Super Sweet Golden Ticket: http://lmgoldfall2011.eventbrite.com/

Tech Cocktails- August
Date: Wednesday, August 31; 5:30-8:00 pm
Location: Mollie Fontaine Lounge
RSVP via facebook.
Join LaunchMemphis and the broader community for a night of technolgy, cocktails, and conversation! The last Wednesday of every month, local professionals, innovators, technologists, and entrepreneurs will meet up at a different bar around town. A $5 donation to LaunchMemphis gets you in the door, with happy hour specials on food and drinks. Bring a friend or two and help build our local innovation economy.

Intro to #memtech: JAVA
Date: Monday September 12; 6:00-9:00 pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
Cost: $5
Tickets: http://memtechjava.eventbrite.com/
Intro to #memtech is your introduction to various programming languages. Over the course of the class, held the first Monday of each month, local programming all-stars will teach you the basics of the following languages.

Whiteboard Session
Date: Monday September 19, 2011; 6:00-8:00 pm
Location: FedEx Institute of Technology Building, Room 326
Tickets: http://whiteboardsessionsmem1.eventbrite.com/
Presented by:University of Memphis Center for Entrepreneurship & LaunchMemphis
Do you like to criticize, support, or build on innovative or even wacky ideas? We have the session for you. White Board Sessions are held periodically throughout the year to help elevate an idea to the next stages of development. Each session one emerging innovator or entrepreneur is selected to receive the benefit of the assembled sharp minds of the community. The format includes not only a structured brainstorming session with creative exercises, but also networking before and after for founders, hackers, and digital nomads. Drinks and other refreshment served. There is no cost to attend.

Business Model Bootcamp
Date: Saturday September 24; 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 pm
Location: Hutchison High School
Cost: $40 includes lunch and materials
More information: http://bootcampfall2011.eventbrite.com/
Tickets: via Hutchison Center for Excellence
The LaunchMemphis business plan bootcamp is an intense course in entrepreneurship that will dramatically boost your chances of seeing your startup become a success. Professionals will offer advice on all aspects of starting, successfully running, and gaining funding for your new venture. Join us at the Launchpad for an event that will answer all your …questions and put you on the right track for success in whatever business you are trying to start!

Tech Cocktails- September
Date: Wednesday, September 28; 5:30-8:00 pm
Location: Bhan Thai.
RSVP via facebook
Join LaunchMemphis and the broader community for a night of technolgy, cocktails, and conversation! The last Wednesday of every month, local professionals, innovators, technologists, and entrepreneurs will meet up at a different bar around town. A $5 donation to LaunchMemphis gets you in the door, with happy hour specials on food and drinks. Bring a friend or two and help build our local innovation economy.

Intro to #memtech: .net
Date: Monday October 3; 6:00-9:00 pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
Cost: $5
Tickets: http://memtechnet.eventbrite.com/
Intro to #memtech is your introduction to various programming languages. Over the course of the class, held the first Monday of each month, local programming all-stars will teach you the basics of the following languages.

LaunchMemphis Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
For girls and boys grade 9-12
Date/Time: Saturday, October 22; 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Location: Hutchison
Cost: free
Ticketing: http://youthbootcamp2011.eventbrite.com/
Welcome to a business bootcamp geared specifically toward high school students! Learn the basics of entrepreneurship and starting up! Receive instruction in all facets of entrepreneurship: business plan development, modeling, financial considerations, legal structure, marketing, and attracting investors. Unlock the potential of entrepreneurship and innovation as a positive force in the future of individuals and communities!

Livable Memphis, in partnership with Launch Memphis and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – Memphis Branch, invites you to our 5th Annual Summit for Neighborhood Leaders and GovCamp to explore how government and communities are using technology to create more livable cities.

The morning summit, Using Technology to Connect Cities and Communities, will focus of how technology is being used:

·         by cities to connect with residents and collect data;

·         by citizens to connect community members to each other and issues

·         to create tools for making cities more livable.

The afternoon Gov 2.0 Camp will preview the City of Memphis available public data, and give participants a chance to prioritize what data sets should be released and brainstorm about what kinds of tools can be created to make that data accessible to the public.

Tech Cocktails- October
Date: Wednesday, October 26; 5:30-8:00 pm
Location: TBD (check http://www.facebook.com/launchmemphis)
Join LaunchMemphis and the broader community for a night of technolgy, cocktails, and conversation! The last Wednesday of every month, local professionals, innovators, technologists, and entrepreneurs will meet up at a different bar around town. A $5 donation to LaunchMemphis gets you in the door, with happy hour specials on food and drinks. Bring a friend or two and help build our local innovation economy.

Intro to #memtech: WordPress
Date: Monday November 7; 6:00-9:00 pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
Cost: $5
Tickets: http://memtechwordpress.eventbrite.com/
Intro to #memtech is your introduction to various programming languages. Over the course of the class, held the first Monday of each month, local programming all-stars will teach you the basics of the following languages.

IGNITE 3 Memphis
Date: Thursday November 10, 2011
Location: BioWorks Auditotium
Tickets: http://ignite3memphis.eventbrite.com/
Ignite asks the questions: What if you only had five minutes on stage to make your point? What if you could use only 20 slides that automatically advanced every 15 seconds? Are you passionate about a topic that you want to share with your community? Don’t waste any more time, submit your idea for a presentation at Ignite Memphis! Give us some information on you and your topic below. What will you teach, show, share, or explain? Make it exciting! Any topic is fair game, as long as it’s PG-13 and isn’t a sales pitch.
Event Website: http://ignitememphis.com/
To submit an idea for Ignite 3:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dHphTnk3M0hiNkJVa1Z5bE1GYjBFRHc6MQ#gid=0
If you submit an idea, you agree that you:
*…are able to speak on this topic in 5 minutes, not a second more.
*…can create a 20-slide presentation to support your talk.
*…allow your presentation and a video of your talk to be posted online.
To see presentations from other Ignite nights around the world: http://igniteshow.com/

Barcamp
Date: Saturday, November 12; 8:00 a.m.-5:00pm
Location: Southwest Tennessee Community College
Tickets: http://barcampmemphis2011.eventbrite.com/
BarCamp isn’t just a Web 2.0 conference. It’s an unconference.
What does that mean, exactly? Well… that’s up to you.
The entire event will be crafted by attendees (you), so you can learn about the specific technologies, trends, gadgets you really want to learn about – and hear from the people you find interesting. We’ll be voting first thing in the morning to determine the day’s sessions. Totally crowd-sourced!
Sessions might be presentations, panels, Q-and-A with specific BarCampers. Or you may want to participate in a roundtable discussions (or Core Conversations, as we call them) with groups of folks bouncing ideas and learning from others’ experiences.

GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK NOVEMBER 14-18

Core Conversations in Entrepreneurship
Date: Tuesday, November 15; 12:00-1:30 pm
Location: Crescent Center
Tickets: http://coreconversations2011.eventbrite.com/
In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week, The Society of Entrepreneurs and LaunchMemphis are hosting Core Conversations on Entrepreneurship.
The purpose of this event is to bring together entrepreneurs from all across the area to have lunch together to discuss entrepreneurship in Memphis.
Each table will be hosted by a member of The Society of Entrepreneurs. Attendees will rotate tables between the entree and dessert allowing for two wonderful opportunities for networking and conversation.

Special Edition Tech Cocktails- November
Date: Wednesday, November 16; 5:30-8:00 pm
Location: TBD (check http://www.facebook.com/launchmemphis)
To celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, we’ll be hosting a special edition of tech cocktails early in the month of November.

Intro to #memtech: .php
Date: Monday December 5; 6:00-9:00 pm
Location: EmergeMemphis
Cost: $5
Tickets: http://memtechphp.eventbrite.com/
Intro to #memtech is your introduction to various programming languages. Over the course of the class, held the first Monday of each month, local programming all-stars will teach you the basics of the following languages.

Weekly:

Memphis Tech Coffee meets every TUESDAY at 8 a.m. Come join the conversation!

Republic Coffee. 2924 Walnut Grove.  MAP.

Memphis Tech Lunch meets every Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

Panera Bread. 4530 Poplar Ave. MAP.

Monthly:

Memphis Tech Cocktails meets on the last Wednesday of every month.

Location TBD. Check on facebook/twitter

Questions? chris@launchmemphis.com

http://www.launchmemphis.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Mens-Journal-Article-April-2011-LaunchMemphis.jpg

48 Hour Launch January 28,29,30 2011
LaunchMemphis will be hosting the 4th annual 48 Hour Launch a bit earlier than usual this year. This is the best opportunity to start a business that you’re ever going to have! Pitch your idea to a room full of eager professionals and then get a jump start on it over the weekend.
48Hour Launch is one of the most powerful and unique entrepreneurship programs in the country. At 48 Hour Launch events, creative individuals from all industries unite their talent in one location to launch new enterprises in a 48-hour period. The initiative, founded in 2009 in Tennessee, has attracted international attention, with many cities across North America planning on hosting 48 Hour Launch experiences in their cities.

Tickets http://48hourlaunch.eventbrite.com/
RSVP via facebook: here.
Save $10 if you get your ticket before 1/1/11!

Ignite 2 Wednesday, February 23rd

Enlighten us, but make it quick”

LaunchMemphis and MemphisConnect bring together local thought leaders for an informative and entertaining night of presentations aimed at bettering our community. A global phenomenon, Ignite nights are “a high-energy evening of 5-minute talks by people who have an idea—and the guts to get onstage and share it with their hometown crowd….Ignite is a force for raising the collective IQ and building connections in each city…. And, via streaming and archived videos of local talks, local Ignites share all that knowledge and passion with the world.”

For more information: http://ignitememphis.com/
Tickets: http://ignitememphis2.eventbrite.com/
If you want to be a local legend and present, please fill out this form: here.

Business Model Bootcamp Saturday, March 5

Location: Launchpad

LaunchMemphis and the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals Boot Camp is an intense course in entrepreneurship that will dramatically boost your chances of seeing your dream become a reality. Professionals will offer advice on all aspects of starting, successfully running, and gaining funding for your new venture.  Join us at the Launchpad for an event that will answer all your questions and put you on the right track for success in whatever business you are trying to start!

Tickets: http://2011bootcamp.eventbrite.com/
RSVP via facebook: here.

48 Hour Music Launch April 8-10 2010
The Memphis Music Foundation in connection with Launch Memphis is proud to present an exciting new city-wide collaborative project – 48 Hour Music Launch. The innovative experiment will be the first ever of its kind, and will bring together songwriters, musicians, engineers, producers, marketing representatives, graphic designers and volunteer entertainment attorneys whose only previous connection might have been sharing an area… code.

RSVP via Facebook and learn more: here.