Startup Weekend Comes to Detroit!
Shannon Paul discusses why she decided to organize Startup Weekend in Detroit with Shauna Nicholson.
Shauna (SN): Why did you decide to organize Startup Weekend in Detroit?
Shannon (SP):I don’t know that it was actually a conscious decision. I
was able to attend part of Startup Weekend Ann Arbor, and had several
friends who attended that event. When I came home, I started looking
deeper into the Startup Weekend organization and reading up on the
process to bring Startup Weekend to a particular city. I realized there
was a voting process and saw that Detroit was already nominated, but
only had 20 votes. To give you an idea of where we stood, we were
behind Corvallis, Oregon. 
I just thought that Detroit could really use this more than most
places. There is so much bad news coming out of this city — especially
when it comes to job losses and the overall economy. I thought an event
like this would help bring out some of the area’s talent and help
jumpstart small business development in the city and the region. It was
also my hope to generate a few positive news stories as a result of the
event.
SN: Why is it important for the event to happen NOW?
SP: Detroit, and the surrounding region, is facing some of the most
challenging times in its history. The future of the economy in this
region is going to depend on the ingenuity of individuals who can start
small. Most of the new jobs being created in this economy are from
small businesses. I believe that there are as many talented, skilled
and passionate people in this city as any other, but we haven’t been so
great at forming a really solid community around networking and
innovation. Community is an essential ingredient to fostering the kind
of supportive environment for new businesses to be able to thrive.
SN: Who attends events like this?
SP: Just about anybody with an idea or a skill or both is welcome to
participate in this event. Usually Startup Weekend attracts people with
deep technical/programming skills as well as design professionals,
marketing and public relations professionals, project managers and
venture capitalists. Most companies that have formed as a result of a
Startup Weekend have been web-based, but there are many notable
exceptions to this rule.
SN: Can companies sponsor this initiative?
SP: Yes, we are still looking for companies to help sponsor some of the
costs of the event. Sponsorship packages are available. Companies
interested in donating to offset costs, or providing swag to attendees
should contact me.
SN: Can we help get the word out about this event?
SP: Yes! Please share this information with everyone you know. Add this
event to your Facebook profile or Upcoming, and join our group on LinkedIn. Click on the ShareThis button at the bottom of this post and add it to Digg, Stumble or Delicious. Please feel free to reblog this post, or any of the other posts on this blog and link it back to http://detroit.startupweekend.com/.
SN: How can I sign up?
SP: The cost to attend is $40. Register to attend at http://detroitstartupweekend.eventbrite.com/
SN: What should I bring?
SP: What you bring is really up to you. Ideally, attendees should bring
a laptop computer that can connect to the Internet via a wireless
network. We will also need volunteers to supply extra extension cords
and power strips to accommodate everyone’s electricity needs.
SN: Who can I contact for more information on Startup Weekend Detroit?
SP: Anyone interested in helping out or getting additional information may contact Shauna Nicholson, Brian Ambrozy, or I.
Shannon Paul (734) 968-9065 or shannonpaul5[at]gmail[dot]com
Shauna Nicholson (248) 722-2685 snicholson[at]biznetis[dot]net
Brian Ambrozy (586) 693-3509 brian[at]icrontic[dot]com
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Love your enthusiasm and am in favor of anything that helps move this region forward! Not certain I understand what Startup Weekend is though. Is it chiefly educational, inspirational, networking? Can you shed some light? Also when/where is it?
Lisa,
Thanks for your comment!
Startup weekend works like this: About a 100 professionals from all over the area come together Friday night to pitch ideas and decide on (about) 10 projects. After that, the 10 new groups come together Saturday and Sunday to develop a business and marketing plan and start building the product/service. After that, the new startup is in the hands of its creators!
It's a lot of fun and becomes what you make of it. There's a blog about the event here: http://detroit.startupweekend.com/
I hope you can make it!
Shauna