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Local innovators to pitch their ideas for startups event [The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson](Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 18--Open-mic nights are usually an opportunity for amateur crooners and comedians to strut their stuff. On Friday, though, the microphones will be open for local innovators to pitch their ideas. It's the kickoff part of the first Startup Weekend Tucson, in which people from diverse backgrounds join together to pitch ideas, work on cool projects -- and hopefully seed the next great Tucson startup company. Startup Weekend Tucson is part of a global series of events coordinated by a Seattle non-profit that evolved from an event started in Boulder, Colo., in 2007. Participants bring their ideas -- starting with an open-mic pitch -- and form teams to develop them into possible tech startup companies during 54 hours of sessions from Friday through Sunday. After a final presentation Sunday evening, judges will pick finalists from among the teams to get help in bringing their ideas to market. The Tucson effort is spearheaded by Justin Williams, director of the Arizona Technology Council's Tucson regional office. Williams had been trying to figure out a way to bring inventive minds together to help drive innovative ideas to market. He heard about Startup Weekend last December from a speaker at Tucson's inaugural TEDx, a conference that explores elements of technology, entertainment and design. The Tech Council and others already host a series of networking events, including monthly "After 5" events and a weekly "Tucson Tech Happy Hour" publicized on Twitter (at #tthh). "My interest was not only to host his event, but to use this event as a catalyzing force to try and trigger a bit of true community, connections and relationships between the different pieces that make up a startup ecosystem," Williams said. "Those things happen in Austin, they exist in San Francisco and in other communities really robustly," he said. "We have a lot of great pieces of the puzzle here." The Tucson event is limited to 100 people, including about 65 participants who paid $100 for the chance to pitch their ideas and collaborate, meals included. Nonparticipating "observers" include some local investors and business leaders -- no salespeople, please. Several pre-events included a "speed networking" event Tuesday that allowed participants to introduce themselves and scope out possible members for about 15 teams. That event was held at Gangplank Tucson, a developing collaborative workspace on the site of the former Beaudry RV property near I-10 and East Irvington Road. Participants will listen to speakers including Jayne Poynter, an original member of the Biosphere 2 crew and co-founder of Paragon Space Development, and work to refine their ideas for a final presentation. At the end of the event, up to six teams will be selected to receive services including mentoring from the UA's Arizona Center for Innovation and be able to pitch their ideas to a local "angel" investor group, Desert Angels. One top team will become a member of the Arizona Center for Innovation, which includes office space, business services and a mentoring program Williams noted that the Tucson event will differ from others. While most of the events focus on information technologies like new commercial Web concepts, the Tucson event has two categories: "hackers," for IT-based ideas, and "makers," for teams with ideas involving manufacturing. Participant Yi-Chang Chiu, a UA associate professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics, hopes to find a finance or marketing person to help his pre-formed team of four. Chiu wants to advance his idea for a Web-based and mobile-phone application that uses traffic data and proprietary software to help drivers plot the quickest routes. He was encouraged to attend by UA technology-transfer officials, who are already looking to patent his idea. Chiu was impressed by the enthusiasm of the 40 or so attendees at Tuesday's speed networking session. "I think Tucson needs this," said Chiu, who at 42 counts himself among the older participants. "We have very strong talent and a great university here. I think it's something that will bring a lot of value to the community." For Tim Bowen, a local Web designer and developer who owns CreativeSlice.com, the event is a chance to bring a wealth of local Web talent into the community's eye. Bowen, a co-organizer of the event, already has assembled a full team to pitch his idea for a new music-related Web app and plans to present a finished prototype to judges. Bowen also operates another community-building venture, Spoke6, a "co-working" office space near downtown that offers inexpensive desk-space in an open collaborative environment. "Really, what we want to do is make Tucson look cool, and just be part of it," he said. "It always amazes me the number of people who work here for companies in L.A. and New York." Contact Assistant Business Editor David Wichner at [email protected] or 573-4181. ___ To see more of The Arizona Daily Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azstarnet.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |