Some might call it a BVC Bender. This year, BVC activities will encompass four days. It will start with the unConference on Thursday, October 17, transition to the full day entrepreneurial competition at the Tower Theatre on Friday, October 18, and now segue into Startup Weekend, kicking off on Friday evening and run through Sunday evening, October 20.
“We’re capturing both ends of the entrepreneurial spectrum,” said Jim Coonan, EDCO Venture Catalyst. “BVC highlights the most promising startups that have risen to the top after months of intense competition. Startup Weekend is at the other end of the spectrum where ideas first get launched.”
For those unfamiliar with Startup Weekend, think of it as 54 hours of orchestrated craziness for entrepreneurs. The global brainchild of the Kauffman Foundation, this initiative brings together passionate individuals with unique skill sets and experiences, then challenges them to turn their ideas into reality—all in 54 intense hours.
The Kauffman Foundation provides the following statistics about the Startup Weekend:
o 1,068 events have been held
o 478 participating cities
o 8,190 startups created
o Over 100,000 involved entrepreneurs
Startup Weekend embraces a compressed version of the Lean Startup ideology which emphasizes creating a minimum viable product (MVP) for testing, and then quickly adapting the product or service based on feedback. The notion is that a startup needs to fail fast, learn fast, and move fast.
Startup Weekend Bend is hosted by Central Oregon Tech Alliance, which has produced two prior events in Bend. The weekend of October 18-20 will be its third.
Steve Blank, BVC’s keynote speaker and Lean Startup evangelist, will deliver the kick off address for the Startup Weekend. “These are going to be four high energy days in Central Oregon,” added Jim Coonan. “You’ll want to come early and stay the weekend.”
Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) is a private non-profit corporation founded over 30 years ago and dedicated to building a vibrant and thriving regional economy by attracting new investment and traded-sector jobs (manufacturing, professional, headquarters and high technology businesses) through marketing, recruitment and substantive assistance to existing companies. This is the fourth year EDCO has managed BVC. Learn more about EDCO at www.edcoinfo.com.
BVC is celebrating its tenth year! Learn more about the Bend Venture Conference at www.bendvc.com.
