Past event…

Apr 5 2013 Event Ended

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!

Schedule

Friday

Apr 5

6:30pm Registration Starts
7:00pm Dinner & Networking
7:20pm Welcome & Speakers
7:30pm Pitches Start
9:00pm Attendees vote for the top ideas
9:15pm Teams start forming and discussing ideas
10:00pm 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

Apr 6

9:00am Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
9:30am Teams formed and setting up workspace for the weekend
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Call for needs & skills
2:00pm Coaches help teams one-on-one. They are here to help!
6:30pm Dinner
7:30pm Mid weekend check-in, status reports, call for help
10:00pm Finished for the day. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow

Sunday

Apr 7

9:00am Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
10:00am Call for help (this is self motivated, so don’t be shy)
12:00pm Lunch
12:30pm Coaches arrive… ASK QUESTIONS
3:00pm Gut check. Start prepping for presentations
4:00pm Dinner
5:00pm FINAL PRESENTATIONS
7:30pm Judging & awards
8:30pm Wrap-up
9:00pm Go home!

Platinum Sponsors

Become one

Judges

Millie Ward

Co-founder, President Stone Ward | LinkedIn

Millie Ward is Co-Founder and President of Stone Ward advertising agency with offices in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Chicago, Illinois. Ward established the firm in 1984 with Larry Stone, who today serves as Chairman and Executive Creative Director. The agency is widely recognized in the South and Midwest for its creativity and diverse client list.
Millie is considered one of the brightest, most creative and successful advertising executives in the region. She served as the first female president of Advertising & Marketing International Network, an international network of independently-owned advertising agencies and served as its spokesperson during her two-year term.

Jeff Amerine

Venture Capitalist, PMP | Twitter LinkedIn

Jeff joined the University of Arkansas Technology Licensing Office in February 2008 after enjoying a successful, 18-year career building technology businesses. His role at the University is to implement effective strategies and methods that lead to commercialization of world-class research. In addition, Jeff teaches entrepreneurship and at the Walton College of Business. Jeff also serves as a consultant to a state program called Innovate Arkansas which is chartered with the creation and support of a knowledge-based economy in Arkansas. Jeff publishes a weekly tech-startup-focused blog sponsored by Arkansas Business and Innovate Arkansas called Techpreneurship. In 2010, Jeff helped found a 21-member, tech- focused, angel investment fund called Gravity Ventures Arkansas. Gravity Ventures has already made two significant investments in highly efficient, green technology businesses in Arkansas in 2011. Jeff’s career has involved creating, financing and deploying high-tech telecommunications and information technology products and services. He has held senior leadership positions in seven startup ventures and three Fortune 500 companies. Prior to joining the university, Jeff served as the vice president and general manager for KonaWare Transportation and Logistics, a startup headquartered in Silicon Valley that focused on mobile software solutions. Jeff holds a BS, Physical Science from the United States Naval Academy, an MS in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas, and is pursuing a doctorate in workforce development education at the University of Arkansas. Jeff is a certified project management professional (PMP) in good standing since 2002.

Arlton Lowry

Designer / Founder, Made by Few / Adjunct Professor of Art, UALR | Twitter

Arlton has been making websites since 2005. He's a graduate of the University of Arkansas - Little Rock. He's worked with numerous local, national, and global organizations, like the Mozilla Foundation and LessEverything. In 2010, he helped start the annual BarCamp Conway community tech event and in 2012 he founded the annual Made by Few tech conference. Currently, he works as a Designer for Artletic, a craft design studio specializing in user interfaces for applications out of Colorado, and is an Adjunct Professor of Art at the University of Arkansas - Little Rock.

Jeff Stinson

Director, Center for Innovation & Commercialization at UALR | LinkedIn

Mr. Stinson began his career in 1990 in the Nashville, TN office of one of the “Big 5” national CPA firms, Arthur Andersen & Company, where he obtained his CPA license and serviced clients in the banking, manufacturing, healthcare, and printing and publishing industries. Subsequently, he served as the Director of Marketing for a large, publicly traded home healthcare company called American HomePatient, Inc. While there, he led the development and execution of business plans for a number of strategic operating units, as well led the company’s initiatives for the formation of joint ventures with key hospital partners. American HomePatient sent Mr. Stinson to the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University, and he received his Masters in Business Administration – graduating with honors – in 1998. The following year, Mr. Stinson moved to Little Rock,
Arkansas, and became a Principal in a private equity firm that performed merchant advisory and private placement services for its clients.
In 2001, he launched his own successful business advisory practice, focused primarily on private equity and exit strategy development and execution. His largest client has been the Fund for Arkansas’ Future (“FAF”), an angel investment fund he helped to organize and currently manages. FAF has been investing in early stage, Arkansas-based technology companies since 2005, and has a number of rapidly-growing, successful companies in its portfolio. FAF seeks to create wealth for its investors while also promoting economic development through the creation of knowledge-based jobs. In November, 2011, Mr. Stinson assumed the role of Director of UALR’s Center for
Innovation and Commercialization. In this role, he has developed and begun executing a strategic plan and supporting processes to help commercialize the university’s most promising technologies developed through scientific research.

Jeannette Balleza

The ARK Challenge - Director

Jeannette Balleza is Managing Director of The ARK Challenge (now taking applications through April 14th, 2013), a new tech accelerator and Global Accelerator Network member based in Northwest Arkansas that provides seed investment, mentorship and make-it-happen resources to startups serving the retail, logistics and food industries. She is a member of The CEO Forums of Arkansas, and she coordinates the Professional Women’s Network Washington County. In 2013 she was named one of 50 Influential Arkansans by Arkansas Times. Creative-in-Chief of Scribe Marketing, she is a whole-brainer with a soft spot for entrepreneurs, startups, makers and artists.

Coaches

Kristian Andersen

KA+A Founder/President | Facebook LinkedIn Google+

Kristian works with entrepreneurs and business leaders to design compelling brand experiences, create new business models, and innovate new products and services. In addition to his work at Kristian Andersen + Associates, he is an active angel investor and co-founder of Gravity Ventures, a seed-stage venture fund that invests in tech-focused startups. Kristian has co-founded several startups, including: TinderBox, Lessonly, Visible.vc and Pathagility. Along the way, he has had the privilege of advising a number of others. Kristian sits on a few start-up and non-profit boards, co-founded The Speak Easy, and serves as a mentor at RunUp Labs, The Iron Yard and the ARK Challenge accelerators. He splits his time between Indianapolis and Arkansas, where he mixes it up with his amazing bride and 4 (soon to be 5) kids.

Dustin Williams

UX ARCHITECT + UI DESIGNER | Twitter

Dustin started life as a developer, which influences his design. He draws on keen understanding, experience, seeing, and confidence to design with clean lines and strong user focus. Dustin has worked for many Fortune 500 companies, often employing user research to focus on usability. Dustin was recruited to work with Microsoft (Pioneer Studios Seattle) to help develop the User Interface for Microsoft’s KIN Mobile Device.

Dustin’s many specialties all have user experience at their core. They include Branding, Interaction Design, User Interface Design, Website Design, Website Development, Usability and Testing. His other skills also include: User Interface Prototyping, Storyboarding and Wireframing Scenarios, Information Architecture, Mobile Device Interaction and Social Device Interaction. Dustin is well-rounded, an intelligent creative director and truly believes in being a servant leader. With a strong user experience background and deep understanding of the production process, Dustin is well equipped to conceive innovative design, but also manage the execution of those ideas down to the pixel.

Josh Clemence

CEO, Founder -- BLKBOXLabs | Twitter

Josh's life long dream was always to be an architect and started his creative career doing such after receiving a degree in Architecture from the University of Arkansas. Today, Josh spends his time using that same type of creative thinking to help build companies, products, campaigns and strategies.

After spending a number of years in the architecture industry, Josh started a number of web startups before joining, Acumen Brands. He spent two years with Acumen Brands serving multiple roles in marketing and project management. Josh has worked with partners such as Gannett, Capezio and more.

Josh actively participates in the regional startup ecosystem previously serving as President and Founder of the Northwest Arkansas Entrepreneurship Alliance and The Iceberg Coworking Facility. Josh also serves as a mentor for the ARK Accelerator.

When not at BLKBOXLabs, you will find Josh spending time getting to know someone new over coffee, reading, or enjoying time with his wife and cat.

Mike Smith Jr.

Advisor at Innovate Arkansas | LinkedIn

Mike Smith Jr. brings more than 20 years of business advisory experience to the Innovate Arkansas team. Mike is a former senior vice president in the Corporate Finance Group of Stephens Inc. He completed more than 50 merger and acquisition, public offering and private placement transactions for privately owned and publicly traded middle market companies during his 13 years there. He also sourced and executed principal investments for the Stephens family. Mike is actively involved in venture capital and entrepreneurial development in the region, speaking on venture capital and early stage business development topics and serving on several private company boards.

Whitney Horton

Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center Marketing Specialist

Whitney joined the ASBTDC staff in 2009. She was promoted to business consultant in 2011. Horton has a bachelor's degree in marketing and is pursuing her MBA at UALR.

John Twyford

Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center Startup Finance & Management Consultant

John joined the ASBTDC in March 2011. He previously operated a management consulting practice and was a member of the business faculty at Arkansas State University-Newport. Twyford earned his graduate degree in management from the University of Arkansas. He has years of banking experience and is a graduate of the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking and the University of Oklahoma National Commercial Lending School.

Mike Steely

eCommerce and Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Arkansas Capital Corporation

Mike works through Arkansas Capital Corporation with its more than 50 year history of entrepreneurial empowerment in Arkansas, to develop and implement start-up and entrepreneurial support programs and toolsets. He recently completed a successful project to develop and implement a high school eCommerce and entrepreneurship program encompassing
over 2,000 students in rural areas of the state.

Mike has 25+ years of experience in technology, finance and entrepreneurial pursuits in Arkansas including surviving the dot-com boom and bust intact. A CPA by degree and technologist at heart, his primary focus is on taking new ideas and developing innovative and profitable products for his or client companies ranging from online services and payment infrastructures to bathtub safety systems and diaper rash creams. While most of his development teams over the years have told him to stay the hell away from their code, his ability to see beyond the obvious to find value and innovation is welcome.

Mike has always had a passion for creating and supporting new business opportunities in his home state of Arkansas and is always up for hearing a new pitch or idea and helping it to grow.

Lee Watson

Owner of Clarovista | Twitter LinkedIn

Lee leads an exceptional team at Clarovista, working with brands to drive brand engagement through digital opportunities. Clarovista focuses on mapping social and mobile data and integrating the two on a big data project.

Outside of Clarovista, Lee supports Arkansas starups by mentoring founders, organizing http://www.startuparkansas.com/ , and promoting events and organizations such as UCA Data Class, Conway Downtown Partnership, Conway Startup Space, G60, UCA CS Advisory Board, and Tech Cocktail Hour.

Ted Dickey

Advisor at Innovate Arkansas | LinkedIn

Ted received a B.A. from the University of Arkansas, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Thereafter, he earned a Juris Doctorate and was admitted to the Arkansas Bar. He spent over six years at Stephens Inc. in their Corporate Finance Department employed as a Financial Analyst, an Associate in the Financial Services Group and then as a Vice President in the Private Placement Group. During this time, he was responsible for placing debt and equity securities with institutional investors for public and private companies. Ted is a Chartered Financial Analyst, a general partner of CDFP Capital's real estate fund, a Board member of Virtual Incubation and the University of Arkansas' Technology Development Foundation, a 2004 Arkansas Business selection to the "40 Under 40" list of businesspeople in Arkansas, and is the former chairman of the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

Stuart McLendon

Senior Financial Analyst at CFO Network, Adjunct Professor of Finance at UALR

Stuart has been employed by CFO Network since April 2005. Stuart obtained his degrees in Finance and in International Business from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock prior to joining CFO Network. While at CFO, Stuart has provided analysis, business planning, and valuation services for a variety of businesses in various industries, such as advertising, modified textile manufacturing, construction, and healthcare IT. In addition, Stuart has worked closely with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to promote venture capital for emerging technologies in Arkansas. Stuart has also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock since 2010 in the Department of Economics and Finance. When not working or spending time with his wife and children, Stuart gives back to the community by volunteering for Junior Achievement, the Donald W. Reynold’s Governors’ Cup Business Plan Competition, and other academic and economic development focused activities.

Luke Coleman

Software Developer III at ABC Financial Services | LinkedIn

I am a fun-loving laid back guy that loves to produce great software. I currently work at a senior software developer at ABC Financial. I love tackling "impossible" problems and finding solutions. I feel like software, for the most part, should be simple and maintainable. I am constantly looking for new technologies being talked about on Hacker News, and I think about how I could incorporate those technologies into our products. I love creating.

Gold Sponsor