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.

Startup Weekend Global Site

Past event…

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IU Innovation Center, 2719 E 10th St Bloomington, IN 47408


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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.

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. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of an entrepreneur, register now for the best weekend of your life!

Startup Weekend Bloomington November 2012 Resources

Schedule

Friday

Nov 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

Nov 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

Nov 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
  • After-Party!
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Speakers

Tony Armstrong

President and CEO of IU RTC

Tony Armstrong has served as president and CEO of the Indiana University Research & Technology Corporation since August 2008, as well as assistant vice president in the Indiana University Office of the Vice President for Engagement. In these positions, Tony helps guide IU’s efforts to further economic development and job creation, to support new business ventures, to transfer IU-developed technologies to the marketplace, and to build partnerships with businesses and universities across Indiana and throughout the nation and world.

Prior to these appointments, Tony served as executive director of the IU Office of Engagement and as associate director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at IU’s Advanced Research and Technology Institute (ARTI) from September 1997 to March 2000. There, he was responsible for the protection and commercialization of intellectual property developed within the IU system. He also served as the executive director and general counsel of the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. In that role, he managed a $140 million fund that provided early-stage investments for collaborative research partnerships and cultivated high-tech industries for the state of Indiana.

In January 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels appointed Tony to the Indiana State Budget Agency to help manage the $26 billion annual state budget. Under Governor Daniels' leadership, the Indiana Office of Management and Budget delivered the state’s first structurally balanced budget in eight years, and the first true surplus in three years, while increasing reserves and repaying payment delays.

A native of Madison, Indiana, Tony holds a B.S. from IU Kelley School of Business, a J.D. from the IU School of Law – Bloomington, and an M.B.A. from Butler University.

Nick Tippmann

Hustle at Impulcity   |  LinkedIn

Nick Tippmann went to his first startup weekend about a year ago in November 2011. In the past year he has accomplished some amazing things, throwing a Shark Tank watching party with Mark Cuban with only 8 hours notice, being invited to be the Social Media Coordinator for DEMO 2012, one of the largest Silicon Valley technology and startup conferences, organizing Startup Weekend Bloomington in May 2012, and he was asked to join a startup at the Brandery, a nationally recognized business accelerator. That startup, Impulcity, along with 10 others pitched their companies at the DEMO Day for the Brandery in front of hundreds of investors and found a welcoming audience.

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Judges

J. Brian Anderson

Associate, Innovate Indiana Fund

Venture analyst with experience in IT, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, bio-metrics, alternative energy, energy storage, social networking, and big data related investments. Experience with due diligence, strategy, and negotiations at the seed, series A, and public company investment stage.

Interests include investing in disruptive start-ups with creative management teams, hands-on business formation, starting/building/transition digital businesses, and building deep relationships with the smartest people locally and nationally.

Tony Armstrong

President and CEO of IU RTC

Tony Armstrong has served as president and CEO of the Indiana University Research & Technology Corporation since August 2008, as well as assistant vice president in the Indiana University Office of the Vice President for Engagement. In these positions, Tony helps guide IU’s efforts to further economic development and job creation, to support new business ventures, to transfer IU-developed technologies to the marketplace, and to build partnerships with businesses and universities across Indiana and throughout the nation and world.

Prior to these appointments, Tony served as executive director of the IU Office of Engagement and as associate director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at IU’s Advanced Research and Technology Institute (ARTI) from September 1997 to March 2000. There, he was responsible for the protection and commercialization of intellectual property developed within the IU system. He also served as the executive director and general counsel of the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. In that role, he managed a $140 million fund that provided early-stage investments for collaborative research partnerships and cultivated high-tech industries for the state of Indiana.

In January 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels appointed Tony to the Indiana State Budget Agency to help manage the $26 billion annual state budget. Under Governor Daniels' leadership, the Indiana Office of Management and Budget delivered the state’s first structurally balanced budget in eight years, and the first true surplus in three years, while increasing reserves and repaying payment delays.

A native of Madison, Indiana, Tony holds a B.S. from IU Kelley School of Business, a J.D. from the IU School of Law – Bloomington, and an M.B.A. from Butler University.

Chris Martoglio

Co-Founder & CEO   |  LinkedInGoogle+

Chris Martoglio is Co-founder & CEO of Blue Burro, Inc. a consulting and software company, where he has served clients for over 15 years in a variety of engagements. He has led the development and launch of three commercial web applications, GetYarny.com, DraftOnce.com, and FormLizard.com, and numerous custom applications. He has consulted to over 80 businesses, governments and higher-ed institutions around the world. He specializes in helping organizations improve their competitive position by designing and implementing new strategies, ventures and business practices. He is a recognized expert in business, utility and municipal operations

Kyle Johnston

President OnSite OHS

With over 15 years experience in both corporate and managerial leadership, Mr. Johnson is a leader in the Occupational Health and Safety industry. His pioneering ability is proven by his experience in founding two Occupational Medicine start-up companies, S.A.M.E.S. and Onsite OHS, Inc. Mr. Johnson calls on his medical experience from the US Navy and construction industry to provide medical coverage in austere environments. Within weeks of being awarded a contract with DynCorp Intl., Mr. Johnson was able to mobilize a medical team for international deployment and set up a functioning clinic in southern Afghanistan. Mr. Johnson leads a dynamic group of medical and support personnel ready to meet global medical service requirements, taking care of people, and providing them with what they need to do their job.

John Ware

After serving as a commissioned officer in the USCG, I acquired over thirty years of experience and expertise in global manufacturing, supply chain and continuous improvement development/management, culminating in Director and VP positions with several global and/or multi-national companies.

I get the biggest kick in turning around companies beset with previously "unsolvable" problems. Also, I specialize in starting up operations designed to be ramped to global standards within six months - I develop manufacturing plants and processes, supply chain models, change/continuous improvement and risk management programs globally.

Specialties
Leadership, communications, Lean and Six Sigma programs. Turnaround and startup operations are specialties. I am certified as a Lean practitioner, Six Sigma Master Black Belt, an APICS-certified Fellow, and many qualitative certifications.

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Coaches

Chris Borland

Founder and Managing Partner at WhimMill LLC   |  LinkedIn

Chris Borland is an IU grad that came for school and made Bloomington his home, nearly 30 years ago. He has 2 decades of experience leading research and development teams in innovative projects at IU and at three tech startups. He has lead projects ranging from researching radical-pair based sensor systems in animals to creating augmented reality (AR) training systems for the military. Chris was a founding partner, President/CTO of Information in Place (now WisdomTools) and spear-headed the development of several AR/location based training systems and multiple educational gaming applications. Chris left WisdomTools in 2010 to create his current venture, WhimMill, a company that seeks to infuse fun into innovative location-based apps and place-enhanced products and services.

Christian Briggs

Co-founder of SociaLens   |  LinkedIn

Christian Briggs is working on a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction and Complex Systems at the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, where he occasionally teaches courses in new media theory. His research focuses primarily on how people get things done in organizations using digital technology together. Christian previously worked in various creative, management and consultative roles for Palladium Group, Ziff Davis Interactive, Surfwatch, Walt Disney Imagineering, One to One Interactive and Walmart. Christian co-founded SociaLens in 2009 to provide research, training and consulting to help organizations to thrive in the digital age.

Steve Bryant

Executive Director, Cook Center for Entrepreneurship at Ivy Tech   |  LinkedIn

Experienced networker within multiple industries in the State of Indiana and beyond. Adept at connecting people working on new technologies, business ideas or new ventures with resources to grow their business.

Strong communication and relationship management skills with a positive attitude and humorous disposition.

Specialties
Relationship management, collaboration, partnership development.

Mark Elliott

Radio Programmer and Personality - Professional Speaker / Trainer and Motivator

Mark Elliott is a radio programmer and personality with over 30 years of experience in media, marketing and programming, and a serial entrepreneur. In 1993, Mark used his experience in radio programming to create Radio One 2 One, a custom marketing agency that helped radio station acquire and retain listeners using database and relationship marketing. Radio One 2 One quickly grew to over $1 million in gross billings and expanded to consult real estate agents and other small businesses in growing customer relationships. During that time, Mark was also the owner and host of The Inn at Crooked Lake, a five room bed and breakfast in a resort area in Northern Michigan. After spinning off and successfully selling both businesses, Mark returned to day to day radio operations and is now the Brand Manager and Afternoon Host on WIKY Radio in Evansville, where he has won national awards for programming, promotion and community service. Mark is now working on a new career as a public speaker and presenter, and carries a secret wish to get back to owning his own company.

Tim Frazier

Assistant Vice President at Regions Bank

Manage multiple branch locations in the Bloomington & Bedford, IN market. Strong experience with small business lending, cash management solutions & business deposit products. Also have a strong retail banking background with direct experience managing a large profitable cost center that originated and serviced consumer loans and deposits.

I achieve success through developing strong business relationships and creating referral networks and growing my centers of influence.

Gerry Hays

Founder/Investor   |  LinkedIn

Gerry Hays is Principal of early-stage investment firm Slane Capital Partners (www.slanecapital.com) and is a co-founder of four companies, three of which are investor-backed. He was recently awarded a patent by the USPTO for the technology utilized by Apparel Media (www.apparelmedia.com), helped design the ticketless bailment technology behind CoatChex (www.coatchex.com), and co-invented a patent-pending food packaging system that has resulted in the Charley Biggs Food Company (www.charleybiggs.com) doubling in size in each of the past two years. Gerry remains strategically active in the companies he's co-founded and continues to serve as CEO of the Charley Biggs Food Company. In addition, Gerry teaches Venture Capital & Entrepreneurial Finance at the IU Kelley School of Business where he has mentored hundreds of student entrepreneurs.

Rajan Kapur

Partner at Ark IT Solutions   |  LinkedIn

Rajan (Raj) Kapur is an IT veteran looking to help small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs go from early stage entities to mature businesses with strategic guidance, funding resources and access to a strong entrepreneurial network.

Over a 15 year career in IT, Raj has held a variety of roles ranging from programming, analysis, design, software development, and project/product management. He served in varying roles of operational and IT management and has also worked with a wide range of companies including Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, not-for-profits, and startups in aerospace, semiconductor, healthcare, software and technology verticals.

As a founding partner of Ark IT Solutions, Raj helps with clients’ strategic and business development efforts. Ark IT’s services include Strategic Consulting (Virtual CIO Services, Technology/Infrastructure Audits, Business Valuations, Project Management), Digital Marketing (Social Media, Blogging, Search Engine Marketing, Email Marketing), Technical Business Consulting (Resource Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting), Web Development (Design, eCommerce, Intranet/Extranet, Portals), Integrated Technology (ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence, Sharepoint), and Custom Software Development (Accounting/Financial Systems, HR, BI, CRM, Financial Reporting).

Raj is an active member of the Startup and Entrepreneur community. He’s on the board of the Venture Club of Indiana and is a regular at local startup and entrepreneurial events all over Central Indiana. In his spare time, he’s looking for the next great idea so he can get involved and help take it to the next level.

Nick Tippmann

Hustle at Impulcity   |  LinkedIn

Nick Tippmann went to his first startup weekend about a year ago in November 2011. In the past year he has accomplished some amazing things, throwing a Shark Tank watching party with with Mark Cuban with only 8 hours notice, being invited to be the Social Media Coordinator for DEMO 2012, one of the largest silicon valley technology and startup conferences, organized Startup Weekend Bloomington in May 2012, and he was asked to join a startup at the Brandery, a nationally recognized business accelerator. That startup, Impulcity, along with 10 others pitched their companies at the DEMO Day for the Brandery in front of hundreds of investors and found a welcoming audience.

Mike Trotzke

Co-Founder and Managing Member of SproutBox   |  LinkedInGoogle+

Mike is a co-founder and managing member of SproutBox, a new kind of
venture capital firm that invests talent in technology startups. He
also is the creator of one of SproutBox's initial companies, Squad,
a web based code editor. Prior to founding SproutBox, Mike was a
co-founder and CTO of Resite Information Technology, a software as a
service provider for the multifamily industry and co-founder and CIO
at political consulting firm WorldView Multimedia. Mike specializes in
entrepreneurship, product design, and open source development and is a
sought after speaker on topics related to web based technology and
startup culture.

John Ware

After serving as a commissioned officer in the USCG, I acquired over thirty years of experience and expertise in global manufacturing, supply chain and continuous improvement development/management, culminating in Director and VP positions with several global and/or multi-national companies.

I get the biggest kick in turning around companies beset with previously "unsolvable" problems. Also, I specialize in starting up operations designed to be ramped to global standards within six months - I develop manufacturing plants and processes, supply chain models, change/continuous improvement and risk management programs globally.

Specialties
Leadership, communications, Lean and Six Sigma programs. Turnaround and startup operations are specialties. I am certified as a Lean practitioner, Six Sigma Master Black Belt, an APICS-certified Fellow, and many qualitative certifications.

Brad Wisler

Co-Founder and Managing Director of SproutBox   |  LinkedInGoogle+

Brad is co-founder and managing director at SproutBox. SproutBox offers entrepreneurs a new form of Venture Capital by investing both cash and services in startup companies in exchange for equity. SproutBox offers an elite crew of product developers, creatives and business experts to provide programming, business development, accounting, and HR services equivalent to four startups each year. Prior to founding SproutBox, Brad served as CEO and General Manager of Resite Information Technology. During his tenure, he successfully grew the business from an unfunded startup to a nationally recognized leader in web-based software. Brad successfully negotiated the sale of Resite to Dominion Enterprises in 2007, widely regarded as Bloomington’s first multi-million dollar internet software acquisition. In addition to his business success, Brad has served his community as an elected representative on the Bloomington City Council and as President of the Monroe County Youth Services Bureau.

Demi Wetzel

Social Strategy Officer/Editor in Chief of Inkable.co at New Ink   |  

Demi Wetzel is obsessed with innovation but more importantly she is obsessed with startups. She first attended Startup Weekend Evansville 1.0 in February 2012. Since that fateful weekend, she has done lots of cool stuff. Demi has spoken at TEDxYouth Columbus and is now a proud organizer of Startup Weekend Evansville 2.0.

Most recently, she began her own social strategy-consulting agency, Spontaneous Combustion. Social media is her thing but discovering and helping startups is her passion. Demi writes about and talks to startups across the country in hopes to share their inspiring stories while giving them the attention they deserve.

Troy Phelps

ISBDC

Troy Phelps, Business Advisor for the West Central SBDC is working out of our Bloomington South Central SBDC office. Troy specializes in accounting brings and has significant experience in the banking, medical, and insurance industries. In addition, Troy has started two businesses of his own in the past and understands first- hand the challenges of owning a business. He has worked in various capacities for the SBDC for 4 years and has counseled with over 250 clients. In addition to his work with the SBDC, he helps manage The Solution Lab, Bloomington's first collaborative workcenter catering to small businesses and new business entrepreneurs. Troy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Anderson University and lives with his wife and two kids in Martinsville.

Bill Brizard

Director of Technology Transfer - IUB

Bill Brizzard is the Director of Technology Transfer for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University. His responsibilities include the College of Arts and Sciences (including the Departments of Chemistry, Biology, Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Physics), the School of Informatics, the School of Optometry, and the School of Education.

Bill has over twenty years of employment experience in academics and industry. Prior to joining IURTC in 2005, Bill worked in business development and intellectual property for the Biotechnology Division of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. Bill came to Sigma-Aldrich from Scientific Imaging Systems, Eastman Kodak Company where he was responsible for leading the development of the FLAG® Protein Expression System
that was acquired by Sigma-Aldrich in 1998. Prior to Kodak, Bill was an Assistant Professor of Biology at DePaul University and held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Washington and M.D. Anderson Hospital.

Bill has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and an M.S. in Biology from Florida State University, and a B.S. in Zoology from Louisiana State University.

Marie Kerbeshain

VP Technology Commercialization IU RTC

Marie Kerbeshian is the Vice President for Technology Commercialization at the Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation where she oversees commercialization efforts for the IU system. Marie is a Certified Licensing Professional as well as a registered Patent Agent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Before joining the IURTC in 2009, Marie had more than a decade of experience in commercialization and technology transfer with the University of Virginia Patent Foundation. She graduated from Wellesley College with highest honors in biological sciences and earned a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ben Dalton

CTO at RideAmigos Corp.

Ben Dalton is a seasoned technologist and entrepreneur with a passion for cool technologies and leveraging the opportunities they provide. As a partner and the Chief Technology Officer at RideAmigos Corp., Ben and his team work to provide innovative commuter transportation, recreational travel, and location analytics tools. In his role as CTO, Ben plays principal roles in architecture and engineering, product planning and design, and business development. When not at the keyboard, Ben is a proud father and husband and lover of the guitar (on a 30 year plan to being “good”).

Jordan Rothenberg

Founder of Solving for Why   |  LinkedIn

Jordan Rothenberg is the founder of Solving For Why (www.SolvingForWhy.com), an organizational consulting firm located in Bloomington, Indiana that assists small-businesses, non-profits, entrepreneurs, and student organizations. He has consulted and coached entrepreneurial start-ups, small businesses, and hundreds of leaders of student organizations ranging from 5- 140 people.

Jordan strives to improve the capacity of his clients to be self-reliant, engage in thoughtful action, and plan/create success from the beginning.

Currently, Jordan serves as chapter advisor of Indiana University's Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter, sits on the development committee of the Shalom Community Center, and organizes Bloomtech, a monthly meetup which aims to connect entrepreneurs with co-founders, investors, supporters, and ideas!

Danise Alano-Martin

Director of Economic & Sustainable Development for the City of Bloomington

Economic & Sustainable Development Director, City of Bloomington, Indiana

Ladi Terry

President, Success Work...Better Ideas

Author of “Celebrate the Messengers…Don’t Shoot Them. Founder and co-director of the Creative Indiana initiative to “Unleash the Power of Creativity in Community, Education and Business.” Founder and President of Success WORK!

Over 20 years of leadership experience in higher education administration building and directing high engagement teams which led to a growth in net income, improved job satisfaction, a vibrant solution oriented workplace and reduced turnover.

Seasoned at integrating positive change in both businesses and non profits resulting in improved performance and goal attainment. Quickly assesses a situation to identify the correct problem and facilitates groups to find solutions.

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Matthew Burris
Jessica Falkenthal
John Adamson
Paul Simacek
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