Startup Weekend
- Sarah Eastman
- Oct 17, 2018
- 2 min read
Charlotte High School Startup Weekend is part of Techstars, a worldwide organization designed to foster and create entrepreneurial talent across the globe. It brings together established local business and entrepreneurs with those who are just starting out. The goal of the event’s first year is to have up to 150 high school students from area private and public schools participating in this incredible weekend.
The Charlotte Techstars High School Startup Weekend will be hosted by Johnson C. Smith University, Friday November 2nd - Sunday November 4th, 2018. It is a time-tested program designed so students will experience the highs, lows, fun, and pressure that make up life at a startup. As they learn how to create a real company, they'll meet local Charlotte mentors, founders, and entrepreneurs who will guide them on how to pitch and launch a startup. A more detailed schedule with be forthcoming once the students return to school in the fall.
On the very first day, the students meet each other and their business mentors. They each get an opportunity to choose an idea and give a 30 second pitch of that idea to an audience. The only requirement is for it to be a brand new business idea, and no work can be done on the idea prior to the weekend. The best ideas by popular vote move forward, and students team up around them and work in cross-functional teams for the next 2 days.
Day two gets into the real meat, as teams will be responsible for everything from business model creation, coding, designing, building their product or service, and finding and surveying customers. Mentors will be on hand to coach them through hard and sticky issues, as well as to give guidance and answer questions. There will also be a series of lectures throughout the weekend teaching important entrepreneurial skills.
Parents, teachers and friends of the Charlotte Entrepreneurial ecosystem will be invited to attend a Sunday evening reception and pitch event. The evening will include a keynote presentation on the state of the Charlotte entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the program will close with 5-minute presentations from each team. An expert panel of judges will choose a winner and two runner ups. Fortunately, the dates of this event fall within National Entrepreneur month. Details for the prizes are still being worked out, but it is likely that the winner will have the opportunity to compete for regional and possibly international recognition. There will be a small cost for attending the weekend, but organizers are working on a scholarship fund for those in need.
Register here if you are interested in attending.
For additional information, contact Jesse Downs at jesse.downs@providenceday.org and view the flyer here.
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