USCStartUp is hosting Columbia's first StartupWeekend! I would like to extend a special invitation to you and your students. All the details are below. Please encourage your students to participate. They may use USCSTUDENT discount code for a 50% discount. Food and beverages for the entire weekend will be provided. If you or your students have any questions, please reach out to me. Thank you! StartupWeekend is the second Google For Entrepreneurs powered event that will be launching in Columbia. The launch will coincide with the Global Entrepreneurship Week in November! Columbia will also enter the Global Startup Battle vying for the top 3 honors amongst startups created that week all over the world! No talk all action - Build your idea, validate, and form a startup in just 54 hours! Lot of you have been toying with an idea, an idea you think might solve a big market problem or save the world! Now you get to work on it - with all the right people, together, under one roof, in one weekend! StartupWeekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable. On average, half of Startup Weekend’s attendees have technical or design backgrounds, the other half have business backgrounds. Columbia's first event will take place from Nov 14 to Nov 16. To register go to swcolasc.co Beginning with open mic pitches on Friday, attendees bring their best ideas and inspire others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday teams focus on customer development, validating their ideas, practicing LEAN Startup Methodologies and building a minimal viable product. On Sunday evening teams demo their prototypes and receive valuable feedback from a panel of experts. Winning teams, and some others, usually end up launching companies. Prizes worth thousands of dollars in credits and startup support from various local, national, and international sponsors helps teams to realize their startup dream. Winning any of the Global Startup Battle tracks will open up never-seen-before opportunities and prizes for startups. Check out globalstartupbattle.co/prizes If you are a student or professional, developer or designer, marketer or product manager - this is for you! You can contribute to the teams in many ways even if your skills don't fall in the standard category. It's a great experience to learn how to build startups, in just a weekend! USC's Office of Economic Engagement's USCStartup and USC/Columbia Technology Incubator with support from IT-oLogy are bringing this event to Midlands region for the first time. For any questions on the main event, bootcamps, and volunteering opportunities contact Raghav Badiger raghav@uscstartup.org