| September 17, 2014 IMMEDIATE RELEASE Montgomery County, Va. Economic Development Department |
Montgomery County, Virginia - Startup Weekend, an intense 54-hour brainstorming and business-building event through UP Global, is coming back to Montgomery County October 3 to 5. Startup Weekend Blacksburg will be held at Kent Square in downtown Blacksburg. Anyone interested in starting a business or working on a startup can purchase a ticket and attend the event. It's a unique opportunity to develop skills, get hands-on experience in new areas, and test ideas with local entrepreneurs and professionals.
Building on the successful international Startup Weekend model, Startup Weekend Blacksburg will bring together entrepreneurs, startup enthusiasts, programmers, designers, and marketing gurus from the New River Valley and beyond to share ideas, form teams, and launch startups. Keynote speaker Fred Cook, CEO and Co-founder of Las Vegas based Moveline, will also discuss his experience scaling a successful startup and the many lessons he has learned along the way.
Beginning with open mic pitches on Friday night, Startup Weekend attendees bring their best ideas and recruit others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday, teams focus on customer development, validating their ideas, practicing LEAN Startup Methodologies, and building a minimal viable product. On Sunday afternoon, teams pitch their business concepts to a panel of judges who will provide feedback.
The motto of Startup Weekend is, "for the community, by the community." Startup Weekend Blacksburg is being co-organized locally by Bob Summers, Founder and Chief Geek of Fitnet; Josh Milas and Alexander Obenauer, Co-founders of Mindsense; Lauren Rose, Founder of the Blacksburg Coder Dojo; and Charlie Jewell, Project Manager with the Montgomery County Economic Development Department.
The Montgomery County Economic Development Department is a sponsor of Startup Weekend Blacksburg along with CIT Gap Funds, Mitchell Law Firm, Point West Management, Mindsense, Moveline, Rackspace Hosting, and TechPad.
Startup Weekend tickets can be purchased online for $100 and includes a T-shirt as well as meals and snacks throughout the weekend. Students can purchase tickets at the discounted rate of $50 by entering the promotional code "STUDENT" when registering online. Individuals registering as a student will be required to show a valid Student ID at the door.
For more information about Startup Weekend Blacksburg - including registration, schedule and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.up.co/communities/usa/blacksburg/startup-weekend/3732
About Us
Montgomery County, Virginia - home of Virginia Tech and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg - is a progressive, technology-driven community with an abundance of outdoor amenities. The Montgomery County Economic Development Department actively supports the startup, retention and expansion of companies in Montgomery County as well as the recruitment of new businesses to the community. To learn more, visit www.YesMontgomeryVA.org.
The Montgomery County Department of Economic Development (MCDED) offers a number of free and confidential services and resources to help companies large and small. We welcome the opportunity to provide direct assistance to companies interested in starting, expanding or relocating a business in Montgomery County, Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Contact us today!
