What Is Startup Weekend?

What is Startup Weekend?

Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, teams and communities. Come share ideas, form teams, and launch startups.

Startup Weekend Global Site

Past event…

Event Ended

University of Oregon School of Law


View Larger Map

Ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

The professional and personal challenges, the high and lows, the failures and the success?

Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world in 2011.

The non-profit organization is headquartered in Seattle, Washington but Startup Weekend organizers and facilitators can be found in over 200 cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa to London to Brazil, people around the globe are coming together for weekend long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams, and start companies.

All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams organically form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and then it’s a 54 hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback.

Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of an entrepreneur, register now for the best weekend of your life!

Interested sponsors please contact eugene@startupweekend.org

Schedule

Friday

Oct 12
  • Registration Starts
  • Dinner & Networking
  • Welcome & Speakers
  • Pitches Start
  • Attendees vote for the top ideas
  • Teams start forming and discussing ideas
  • Start to formalize teams and take an inventory of skills. Be honest, and direct about what resources and skills are needed for the weekend. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow

Saturday

Oct 13
  • Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • Teams formed and setting up workspace for the weekend
  • Coaches help teams one-on-one. They are here to help!
  • Lunch
  • Call for needs & skills
  • Coaches help teams one-on-one. They are here to help!
  • Coaches help teams one-on-one. They are here to help!
  • Dinner
  • Mid weekend check-in, status reports, call for help
  • Finished for the day. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow

Sunday

Oct 14
  • Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • Coaches arrive… ASK QUESTIONS
  • Lunch
  • Gut check. Start prepping for presentations
  • Dinner
  • FINAL PRESENTATIONS
  • Judging & awards
  • Wrapup
  • Go home!
Speakers

Scott Sandler

Oregon Angel Fund

Scott joined the Oregon Angel Fund in 2012 and manages the day-to-day activities of the Oregon Angel Fund including generating deal flow, evaluating business plans and due diligence management. Scott became CEO of electronic design automation (EDA) startup Novas Software in 2000. There he honed his management skills and engaged his passion for building teams and brands. After selling the company to Taiwanese EDA leader SpringSoft in 2008 he fulfilled a promise to pursue something completely different at mid-life in 2010. He stopped commuting to San Jose, returned to Oregon full time, and invested in the Oregon Angel Fund, quickly becoming one its most active members. Scott is an engineer who found out early that he liked talking about technology and products more than designing and testing them. Starting at Intel in the mid-80s provided a solid launching pad for a career in high-tech startups and marketing. He was the first applications engineer for the Verilog hardware description language, spent a year in Japan with formal verification pioneer Chrysalis Symbolic Design, and created a partnership with Microsoft while with early networking vendor Shiva Corporation.

Scott received a BS in Computer Systems engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Tier 1 Sponsors
Become one
Tier 2 Sponsors
Become one
Tier 4 Sponsors
Become one
Judges

Caroline Cummings

VP Marketing, Palo Alto Software

As the former co-founder and CEO of two technology companies, she’s experienced both start-up failures and successes, and has raised close to $1 million in investment capital. Her first venture, OsoEco.com (healthy social shopping), dissolved in 2009. Her second venture, RealLead (mobile marketing for real estate) sold in early 2012. She has co-founded several successful entrepreneurial programs for the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce including Smart-ups Pub Talks and the Southern Willamette Angel Network. Caroline is regularly invited to participate as a judge for several business plan competitions, as well as speak on topics including, entrepreneurship, angel investing, social media and authentic self promotion. She is a graduate of Drexel University’s LeBow School of Business.

Other than her affinity for entrepreneurship, Caroline is passionate about mentoring. She mentors several young women and is also the immediate past president of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lane County’s board of directors. She strongly believes is the power of mentoring.

Tyler Menezes

Co-founder, TapIn.tv   |  LinkedIn

Tyler is a co-founder of TapIn.tv, an early-stage consumer video company which started at a Startup Weekend Seattle. His company was accepted into Y Combinator, and is currently raising a seed round from many prominent SV investors. As such, he's very familiar with what's required to take a team beyond Startup Weekend.

Before TapIn, Tyler had been working at startups since graduating from high school. Most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer of StudentRND, where he started a growing series of hackathons for high school and college students, and helped with the first class of their incubator program. He's extremely passionate about promoting entrepreneurship.

https://tyler.menez.es/

Shawn M. Mohr

Executive Consultant & Private Equity Investor

Shawn Mohr is a leading executive consultant and private equity investor within the staffing and human capital sector.

Prior to consulting, Shawn Mohr served as the President of On Assignment Healthcare and Chief Sales Officer for On Assignment Inc. a professional staffing organization with 2011 revenues approaching $600 million.

Bob Newhart

CEO, The Innovation Center

In the Summer of 2000, Bob Newhart joined the Innovation Center® as its Chief Executive Officer. The Innovation Center guides leaders to discover and launch the future of their organizations through creativity and innovation.

Bob has been responsible for leading several highly successful private, public, and non-profit organizations. Bob has founded or co-founded two retail operations, a marketing and management consulting firm, and several non-profit corporations.

He has consulted with hundreds of business enterprises –– from wood chips to potato chips to silicon chips. His experience extends to the public sector where he worked with the three Northwest governors, served as a Delegate to two White House Conferences on Small Business, presented Expert testimony to the United States Senate, and performed various project and program directorships.

Dan Mayhew

CEO & Co-founder of Vizme

Daniel D. Mayhew is the CEO and co-founder of Vizme. He has founded and run companies in the software, automotive and food service industries, and frequently speaks to classes and groups about entrepreneurship.

Dan is on the Entrepreneurial Advisory Board associated with the Eugene Chamber of Commerce. He received a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Nathan Lillegard

Program Manager, UO Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship   |  LinkedInGoogle+

As the Program Manager for the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Oregon, Nathan has a passion for the world of new ventures and innovation. His experience includes co-founding Floragenex

Organizers
Gavin Gillas, J.D.
KaLynn Alley
Matt Riopelle
Coaches

Sabrina Parsons

CEO Palo Alto Software

Sabrina has served as CEO of Palo Alto Software since 2007. She and her husband, Noah, founded a UK software distribution company in 2001 that was acquired by Palo Alto Software in 2002. Sabrina is a successful Internet expert, having served as Director of Online Marketing at Commtouch, Senior Producer at Epinions, and founder of her own Web consulting company, Lighting Out.

She is a staunch supporter of entrepreneurs, and supports entrepreneurial organizations. She is President of the Princeton Entrepreneurs Network. Sabrina has also chaired and sponsored both the Princeton Business Plan Competition and the Willamette Angel Conference in Eugene, Oregon for several years. She additionally gets invited regularly to participate as a judge for other business plan competitions across the U.S., as well as to speak on business planning, leadership, and women in technology.

Sabrina blogs at MommyCEO.org and Forbes Women, where she writes about running a business while balancing her business life with her husband and three young sons.

Read more: http://www.paloalto.com/about-us/leadership/sabrina_parsons#ixzz25AR9fS7e

Noah Parsons

COO Palo Alto Software

Before joining Palo Alto Software, Noah was an early Internet marketing expert in the Silicon Valley. He joined Yahoo! in 1996 as one of its first 101 employees and become Producer of the Yahoo! Employment property as part of the Yahoo! Classifieds team before leaving to serve as Director of Production at Epinions.com. He is a graduate of Princeton University.
Noah devotes most of his free time to his three young sons. In the winter you'll find him giving them lessons on the ski slopes, and in summer they're usually involved in a variety of outdoor pursuits.


Read more: http://www.paloalto.com/about-us/leadership/noah_parsons#ixzz25AP1wvEL

Chris Nystrom

Marketing Director

Kernutt Stokes Certified Public Accountants and Consultants

Chris Nystrom serves as Marketing Director for Kernutt Stokes, one of the largest single office accounting firms in Oregon, comprised of over 60 professional staff.

Chris is well versed in working with fast growth start up businesses due to her past experience as Director of the Lane Venture Forum, Director of Eugene Entrepreneurs Forum and a Business Instructor and Advisor with the Lane Community College Small Business Development Center. She has served on business plan review panels and helped many businesses prepare their pitches prior to seeking investment from Angel Investors. Many of the businesses she has assisted attribute milestones of their success to the assistance and contacts she has provided to them.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, Finance.

John Mlynczyk

Certified Public Accountant and Tax Manager

Kernutt Stokes Certified Public Accountants and Consultants

John provides services including tax consulting, tax planning and tax compliance for business and high net worth individuals. He specializes in serving medical practices as well as manufacturing, timber, retail and a variety other entities.

John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Oregon. He joined Kernutt Stokes in 2006. He serves on the Board of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

John serves on the Board of Directors for Volunteers in Medicine, a local nonprofit organization. He also enjoys golf and martial arts.

Bryce Wilberger

Certified Public Accountant and Manager

Kernutt Stokes Certified Public Accountants and Consultants

Bryce provides accounting, business valuation and litigation support services for Kernutt Stokes. He works with privately held, owner-managed businesses in a range of industries. Bryce has a depth of experience providing forensic accounting services, including fraud prevention & detection, litigation support and internal control evaluations.

Bryce is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and a Certified Public Accountant Accredited in Business Valuation and Certified in Financial Forensics (CPA/ABV/CFF). He began his career in 2003. He is a member of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Bryce earned a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Finance from Oregon State University and a Masters of Accounting and Finance from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Donald R. Laird

Attorney and Shareholder

Watkinson Laird Rubenstein Baldwin & Burgess, P.C.

Don’s practice areas include business organizations, corporations, limited liability companies, emerging business, and health law. He earned a B.S. from Oregon State University and a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law. He wrote the chapter of the Oregon State Bar’s Advising Oregon Businesses-Practice Manual devoted to professional corporations. Don is a leader in assisting health care providers and is a frequent lecturer and consultant. He has served on the executive committee of Kidsports Foundation, past president of McKenzie-Willamette Hospital Development Fund, and a Congressional appointee to the White House Conference on Small Business. Don is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association, the Lane County Bar, and the Douglas County Bar. Don currently serves on the Umpqua Community College Foundation Board.

Jane M. Yates

Attorney

Watkinson Laird Rubenstein Baldwin & Burgess, P.C.

Jane is a member of the firm's business law and real estate law groups. She provides a variety of legal advice to businesses including trademark and other intellectual property issues and negotiates real property transactions. She earned a B.A. from the University of Paris and a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law. Jane is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association and a member and past president of the Lane County Bar. She is a graduate of the Oregon State Bar Leadership College. Jane currently serves on the board of directors of the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition, the Relief Nursery Leadership Board, and the Lane County Local Professional Responsibility Committee.

Michelle A. Blackwell

Attorney and Shareholder

Watkinson Laird Rubenstein Baldwin & Burgess, P.C.


Michelle’s civil litigation practice emphasizes creditor’s rights, contract disputes, construction law and litigation, public contracting, contested probate proceedings, professional licensing board defense, and administrative and regulatory law disputes. She earned a B.A. from Indiana University and a J.D. from Valparaiso University, also in Indiana. Michelle is admitted to practice in California and Washington as well as Oregon. Before joining the firm, Michelle was a small business owner and also worked as an administrative law judge, a judge pro tem, and an arbitrator. Michelle is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association and the Lane County Bar. She is also a member of the Roland K. Rodman Inn of Court and the Oregon Women Lawyers Association. Michelle completed the Oregon Department of Human Services Domestic Violence Crisis Intervention Training program and volunteers her pro bono legal services at Womenspace.

Ryan C. Belton

Attorney

Watkinson Laird Rubenstein Baldwin & Burgess, P.C.

Ryan practices in the firm’s health law group focusing on policy drafting, federal and state healthcare compliance issues, fraud and abuse issues, and drafting retirement plans. He earned a B.S. from Brigham Young University and a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law. Ryan is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association and participates in the Bar’s Health Law section. He is also a member of the Lane County Bar, the American Health Lawyers Association, and volunteers with the J. Reuben Clark Law Society.

Derek D. Simmons

Attorney and Shareholder

Watkinson Laird Rubenstein Baldwin & Burgess, P.C

Derek’s primary practice areas are business law, health law, and litigation. He earned a B.S. from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College. Derek is a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce's Project Leadership program, the Oregon State Bar Leadership College, and the inaugural class of the Ford Institute Leadership Program in Roseburg. Derek serves as a member of the board of the Boys & Girls Club of the Umpqua Valley and the Advisory Committee for the Douglas Community Fund. Derek is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association and a member and past president of the Douglas County Bar.

Chris Stadler

University Instructor & Creative Consultant   |  LinkedIn

A university instructor and consultant in the creative process, Chris' mission is to help current and future leaders in creativity understand how to build creative cultures and processes. He's a cofounder of EyesDx, and his consulting + teaching interests revolve around building leadership, culture and processes that foster creativity.

Gaston Figueroa

Interface Designer & Developer   |  

Gaston is a User Interface Designer and Developer currently designing interactive experiences for the University of Oregon.

As hybrid designer/developer he enjoys being able to switch between these two skills. He is the cofounder of Eugene Interactive, which aims at bringing together the Eugene design community.

Frank Plaisted

Instructor & Coach, Lane Small Business Development Center   |  LinkedIn

Frank Plaisted is a business instructor, advisor, & coach at the Lane Small Business Development Center. In his Innovation Series of classes, Frank teaches entrepreneurs how to create, evaluate, protect, & commercialize new product ideas. Frank also assists in Gary Smith's highly acclaimed & award winning Small Business
Management program (SBM). Frank is a volunteer mentor and officer in the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a nonprofit association, supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Jim Lindly

Director - LCC Small Business Development Center and Employer Training Services Department

Jim is the Director of the award winning Lane Community College SBDC. He was an LCC Business Development Faculty Instructor and Business Advisor prior to his current position. He has worked in microbial scientific research for the US Forest Service (has a BS in Biology and MBA from the U of O), employed in property/casualty insurance as a personal/commercial underwriter and automation project manager, worked for TCI and was NW Area Manager for Showtime-The Movie Channel, served as President/CEO of Telecomm, was a Human Resources Specialist in the Energy Sector, IP Specialty Services Division Director in an Information Technologies Company, co-founder of a leading edge voice/video over IP and technology company, and has owned and operated a sales and marketing consulting agency. Jim is also a Advanced Communicator Gold in Toastmasters and still does some instruction at the SBDC.

Christopher Bailey

CTO & Co-Founder, Hotel Tonight

A master in the art of proper espresso preparation, Chris manages all aspects of HotelTonight technology. He previously was CTO of DealBase.com and earlier was an architect and senior computer scientist at Adobe Systems. He has led many an engineering team, been involved with myriad startups and done a variety of consulting. Chris travels frequently (a few times a month) to the HotelTonight San Francisco offices, but when he's not away, he's enjoying time with his family, mountain biking, or running the great trails in and around Eugene.
http://www.hoteltonight.com/about

Blog
view all
Upcoming Events
View all