Startup Weekend Returns to Stamford

STAMFORD, Conn. - March 26, 2013 - PRLog -- Stamford, CT – Next month, Startup Weekend will return to Stamford with hopes of strengthening the entrepreneurial community in “The City That Works.” Hosted by the Stamford Innovation Center, the annual event will take place April 26-28 and allows anyone interested in the world of startups to step into the shoes of an entrepreneur.  During this intensive 54-hour, hands-on experience, developers, designers, marketers, product managers, and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups.

“This event offers an unparalleled experiential learning platform for the smart and engaged members of the Connecticut technology and entrepreneurial community,” said Peter Propp, vice president of marketing at the Stamford Innovation Center and an organizer of Startup Weekend Stamford.  “Watching the teams join together to co-create new applications and then develop their business models and presentations is very rewarding to watch.  Whether they start a company, find a cofounder, meet someone new or learn a new skill, everyone who attends Startup Weekend Stamford is guaranteed to be better prepared to navigate the challenging and exciting world of startups.”

The event starts with open mic pitches Friday night, April 26, in the auditorium of the Stamford Innovation Center, when attendees each receive one minute to present a startup idea.  Teams then organically form around the top ideas, and they continue on Saturday and Sunday building a business model, coding, designing, creating a minimal viable product and validating their market.  Local business leaders serve as mentors on Saturday and Sunday, offering one-on-one advice to each team.  The weekend concludes with final presentations in the auditorium of Stamford’s Ferguson library on Sunday, April 28, when each of the teams presents in front of a panel of local investors and entrepreneurial leaders that will select the three top teams.

Startup Weekend Stamford kicks off at the Stamford Innovation Center, 175 Atlantic St., Stamford, CT, on April 26 at 6:00 PM.  “Demo Day,” with team presentations, judging and awards will be held April 28. Tickets for the event are only $99 (students pay just $49 with ID) and cover seven meals, snacks, access to exclusive resources and all the coffee participants can drink.  They are now on sale in the following categories:

·      Developer -- software engineers/coders/developers -- in short, anybody who can and will write code

·      Designer  -- anyone with a background in design, such as graphics, UX/UI, etc.

·      Non-Technical -- business, marketing and public relations, etc. -- anybody with a non-technical background

Tickets for Demo Day are $20 and are also on sale now.  Tickets for the event and “Demo Day” are limited.  For a limited time only, individuals can receive discounted tickets using the promotion code EARLYBIRD13.  Please visit http://swstamford0413.eventbrite.com/.

About Startup Weekend
Startup Weekend is a global movement of active entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of creating and launching successful startups.  It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs.  The nonprofit organization is headquartered in Seattle, WA, but organizers and facilitators of Startup Weekend can be found in hundreds of cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa, London to Brazil, people around the world gather for a weekend to present ideas, form teams and start companies. startupweekend.org

About the Stamford Innovation Center
Featuring coworking, dedicated offices, conference facilities and a comprehensive slate of startup-centric classes and events, the Stamford Innovation Center is the ideal place for young enterprises to grow and interact with peers, mentors, investors, industry experts and service providers.  For information on how to join our community, please visit www.stamfordicenter.com.