54-hour event tailored toward developing talents of aspiring female entrepreneurs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 11, 2014) – Start Co. announced today that Memphis will play host to Startup Weekend Sept. 12-14. Startup Weekend is an international series of weekend events to spur entrepreneurship, and the Memphis Startup Weekend will focus on showcasing the talents of aspiring female entrepreneurs to inspire, educate and empower female founders and teams and invigorate the community.
“Inclusion of women-led startups has always been a key priority for Start Co., so we are excited to sponsor Startup Weekend to support female founders here in the Memphis region,” said Eric Mathews, CEO and founder of Start Co. “Being selected to participate reinforces the recognition Memphis has received for being a diverse and upcoming entrepreneurial ecosystem that empowers women.”
The event will begin with a presentation from Laurie Tucker, former Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing at FedEx, to be followed by open mic pitches from potential founders, where attendees can inspire others to join their team. The rest of the weekend will be spent by the teams to build business models and presentations to pitch their ideas to judges on Sunday evening. Teams will have access to professional assistance mentors, representing a cross-section of industry talent across the Mid-South, including marketing, financial, development and legal services, among others.
Startup Weekends from UPGlobal take place all over the world and provide hands-on experiences that allow entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs to discover whether their ideas are viable. An intensive 54-hour event, Startup Weekends encourage developers, designers, marketers, product managers and startup enthusiasts to come together to form teams, build products and launch startups.
“We’re thrilled to add Memphis to the list of cities hosting Startup Weekend Women’s Edition this year,” said Ari Kern, regional manager UPGlobal, Southeast USA. “Memphis’ vibrant startup culture and focus on supporting women and minorities aligns with the mission of making the world a more innovative and prosperous place, one community at a time.”
Memphis is only one of 20 cities hosting the special women’s edition and was selected because of Start Co.’s commitment to support the growth of women-led technology startups, as demonstrated in the two-year old Upstart accelerator program. The event is also being sponsored by Google for Entrepreneurs and The Commercial Appeal.
To sign up for Memphis’ Startup Weekend, please visit http://www.up.co/communities/usa/memphis-tn-usa/startup-weekend/3737.
About Start Co.
Start Co. is a nationally recognized nonprofit 501(c)(3) Memphis-based venture development organization that relentlessly builds founders and companies, promoting entrepreneurship for everyone with a focus on digital startups. Start Co. is a member of theGlobal Accelerator Networkand is currently working withJumpStart, Inc.to advance Memphis’ economic growth through entrepreneurship. The organization is supported by partners includingarcher>malmo,Baker Donelson,The Marston Group, Orion Federal Credit Union,andMosaik Solutions. More information can be found atneverstop.co.