Weekend devoted to making new businesses from scratch

Taking a business from idea to prototype in 54 hours sounds impossible. But entrepreneurs are used to tackling the impossible so that’s exactly what will take place at Kalamazoo’s Startup Weekend.

One of the organizers of the local event, Ryan Goins, says they hope 30 to 40 entrepreneurs turn out for the weekend. “More would be even better,” Goins says.

The event will take place March 25 to March 27 at Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo.There is a $99 registration fee. Student discounts are available.

Goins first attended Startup Weekends in Detroit and Lansing during 2010. He decided Kalamazoo could profit from hosting one, since the community of entrepreneurs seemed to be “silent” here.

“My hope is through this event we can really build a community of entrepreneurs that can work together to form new companies,” Goins says.

The weekend begins with pitches given in an open mic forum on Friday night. On Saturday and Sunday teams do whatever it takes to bring about their startup vision — code, design, research or create business plans. Everyone gets back together Sunday night to demonstrate what they’ve come up with.

Reportedly, more than 36 percent of Startup Weekend businesses are still alive three months after the conclusion of a Startup Weekend event and roughly 80 percent of participants plan on continuing working with their team or startup.

The event offers a chance for those attending to expand their skill set and grow as an entrepreneur. Goins says, they can learn from people that are absolute experts in their field. Startup Weekend also provides lonely entrepreneurs that boost that comes from realizing there are others in the community who also are single-minded and want to build great companies.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Ryan Goins, Kalamazoo Startup Weekend