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.
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 an intense 54 hour event which focuses on building a web or mobile application which could form the basis of a credible business over the course of a weekend. The weekend brings together people with different skillsets – primarily software developers, graphics designers and business people – to build applications and develop a commercial case around them.
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.
Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups. Come share ideas, form teams, and launch startups.
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
Jul 13
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
Jul 14
Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
Call for help (this is self motivated, so don’t be shy)
Operations Manager
Chris Hooper is an accountant by day, compulsive entrepreneur by night. He was a finalist in the ECIC eChallenge in 2009 and is a participant in the Young Business Leaders Program.
He holds a Diploma of Business, Bachelor of Commerce, Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accountancy and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently studying a Diploma of Management. He teaches Financial Accounting Processes at Flinders University and has been a guest speaker at AIESEC, PechaKucha, EagleWaves and MEGA.
He is a founding partner at Cirillo Hooper & Company, cloud based accounting firm which works predominantly with startups and entrepreneurs.
Event Manager
Sammie is an event organiser extraordinaire. Sammie is a veteran of the first event and is a gun at organising the logistics of running events.
She is a member of the Golden Key Honour Societ and holds a Bachelor of Tourism and Event Management and a Diploma of Business.
She hones these skills in her current role at Magnetic Alliance as a Training and Events Consultant.
Finance Manager
Financial professional and keen entrepreneur that helped kickstart a successful startup turning over $1 Million+ in their second year of business.
He holds a Diploma in Project Management, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting.
Michael is passionate in helping startups and he currently mentors multiple startups in Adelaide and has helped Encyclopedia of Magic (previous Startup Weekends Winners) turn their business around to hit new goals.
The young entrepreneur has a strong background in Finance and Accounting and is someone who can work in the business but never forgets to work ON the business.
Founder
Orren holds a Bachelor of Arts and Law degree. He has been admitted as a barrister and solicitor, in the Supreme Court of South Australia.
He is currently a Senior Associate at Flinders Partners, Flinders Universities commercialization company. Previously he was the Director of Marketing for www.mega.org.au and Operations Manager at Peacock Media Group. In his spare time he is interested in international backpacking, snorkelling, power-lifting and ice hockey.
Founder
David is passionate about improving and disrupting the education system. He's the founder of Broccol-E-Games and one of the co-founders of TeacherTime. In the past he has worked at schools helping with their technology integration and implementation.
He has a passion for business, especially startups and entrepreneurs. I'm the co-organiser of Silicon Beach Drinks Adelaide and Startup Weekend Adelaide.
He holds a Bachelor of Law and Legal Practice as well as a Bachelor of Science majoring in Computer Science.
Previously he founded a vocational training company, Australian Entertainment Training, which provided services to schools, government and individual students. He also worked with schools to incorporate technology into the teaching culture, been the CFO of a marketing and hospitality company (Griffin Alliance) and worked at a commercial law firm.
Community Manager
Michael is the Co Founder and Managing Director of Majoran Distillery, Adelaide's tech co-working space. As well as one of the organisers of Silicon Beach Adelaide. He's extremely well connected in the startup space, so who better to be community manager.
He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting.
He does some other stuff as well but it's nowhere near as fun as Startup Weekend.
Social Media Manager
Feng is in her final semester at the University of Adelaide finishing a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts degree with majors in Marketing, Management and Psychology.
She has a keen interest in Digital Marketing especially Social Media Marketing and a strong passion for Events from planning right down to execution. Feng hopes to pursue a career that allows her to combine her interest and passion. She is also a serial volunteer within multiple communities.
