Ventures Locked n’ Loaded to Launch Fast with Rinish.com
Ventures Locked n’ Loaded to Launch Fast with Rinish.com
No matter what your pitching or developing over the weekend, a strong web presence will help you sustain momentum post-Scramble. In order to get Scramblers’ ventures web-ready, local web developer guru Larry Rinish and his partner Ziauddin “Zia” Rana are providing on-site support and consultation that would otherwise cost mucho mucho dinero. Many thanks to Larry and Zia for graciously sharing their expertise over the weekend and supporting fellow NEPAliens!
To take full advantage, please take 30 seconds to grab a Twitter account and follow: @StartUpScramble, @rinishceo @karla_porter @peeter @bjennelle, @YoungImpact!
MANDATORY (Highly Recommended) Viewing for StartUp Scramble Attendees
MANDATORY (Highly Recommended) Viewing for StartUp Scramble Attendees
Grab a few minutes before Friday to settle-in with groundbreaking insights from Sir Ken Robinson and a dancing guy in underwear:
Video 1: Schools Kill Creativity
Video 2: Bring On the Learning Revolution!
Video 3: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy
Day 1: How to Pitch Your Ideas @StartUp Scramble NEPA Challenge
Day 1: How to Pitch Your Ideas @StartUp Scramble NEPA Challenge
Here’s a video of me rehearsing a Friday night StartUp Scramble pitch for a TEDxNEPA event:
StartUp Scramble NEPA Challenge: Friday Night’s 60-Second Pitch
OR CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO: TEDxNEPA Pitch
Friday evening sets the pace of the weekend. After dinner and our keynotes (Kris Jones and Blake Jennelle), we launch into venture pitches! Here are several guidelines:
- Anyone can pitch a venture concept
- First-up, first-pitch
- Pitch as many venture concepts as you like
- Take 60 seconds per concept with a hard-stop of resounding applause at the 1-minute mark
The format is simple. Here’s an example of what to cover in 60 seconds:
- 10 seconds – Who: Name & background
- 15 seconds – What: Explain the problem you’ve identified + the opportunity to address the problem
- 15 seconds – How: Summarize how you propose to
- 10 seconds – Goal: What do you hope to accomplish by the end of the StartUp Scramble
- 9 seconds – Need: What type of talent, expertise, skills, and support do you need to ensure you and your team can achieve your goal?
- 1 second – Strike a pose, bow, or curtsey
We wrap venture pitches and move into voting. Vote with your body. Those who pitched venture concepts work the room answering questions about their idea. If you decide not to pitch (that’s fine!), it is your goal to find a team whose concept you dig and hope to contribute to build-out over the weekend. Your decision process should also consider what new skill sets you want to begin developing over the weekend–for example, do you hope to improve your ability to organize budgets and financials, market a startup and connect with community stakeholders, learn about implementing social media strategies, or all of the above?
By Friday’s conclusion, the 4 primary deliverables are:
- Venture name
- 3-5 sentence venture description
- All social media handles and url addresses (Twitter, FB Group, blog/website)
- Names and email addresses of venture team
Best Selling Author’s Book Giveaway, $1,000 in Startup Funding, Press Coverage, Meals, Agenda Updates
Best Selling Author’s Book Giveaway, $1,000 in Startup Funding, Press Coverage, Meals, Agenda Updates
Ten days left and we’re hard at work trying to jolt attendance at the SUS NEPA Challenge. But the show goes on whether we have 10 or 50 attendees. It’s one of those events that, if it passes you by, you are left with a lingering burning sensation in your gut. And not the good kind either. You know you missed something big.
Get insight, connections, tools, and rapid-fire startup experience you didn’t even know you needed to launch something awesome in NEPA. Leave the weekend as part of a new-found community of doers. Our job is to give you, “enough rope to hang yourself,” as my old boss would say. But past attendees have this to say:
“I heard it was going to be intense, but I didn’t know just how intense it actually was going to be.”
“Ever since that magical weekend, we have been on a roll. We know as a fact that our experience at the StartUp Scramble was most helpful.”
“As for me, and you can quote me on this, Startup Scramble was the best investment of time or money I have ever made. And fun, no less! Great job and thanks for all your hard work and energy.”
Let’s jump to several amazing announcements:
- Best-selling author and featured guest, Kris Jones (Founder of Pepperjam Networks), and Wiley Publishing are giving attendees a FREE copy of Kris’ new book ($29.99)– get it signed Friday evening!
- Ashoka’s Youth Venture invests up to $1,000 in 13-21 year olds who lead socially-minded sustainable enterprises, organizations, and initiatives. Attorney Brian Petula will connect attendees to Youth Venture funding opportunities, administered locally by Net Impact NEPA, a local chapter at Marywood University. Youth Venture applications are reviewed on a local level.
- Front page of the Business & Leisure Section in Friday, July 16th’s Scranton Times Tribune features an article profiling Stephen Douglass, Chief Impact Officer of Young Impact, and our StartUp Scramble sponsors!
- Meals? We provide Friday and Sunday evening dinners and scooby snacks and beverages throughout the weekend. Attendees get cash-money (~$5/$6) subsidies for Saturday lunch, dinner, and Sunday’s lunch.
- Weekend agenda updates, including speakers, guest and mentor appearances, and panel members, are posted here.
IF YOU ONLY READ ONE POST BEFORE THE STARTUP SCRAMBLE…
IF YOU ONLY READ ONE POST BEFORE THE STARTUP SCRAMBLE…
…read this!
You probably have a barrage of questions leading up to the StartUp Scramble™ NEPA Challenge, such as:
What should I expect?
Expect an immersive startup experience. Expect to check your ego at the door and come into the weekend with a fresh and open mind. Expect to stretch, push, and contort your limits of problem solving, creativity, teamwork, and time-management.
Expect to forge new and lasting relationships. The Scramble will introduce you to a community of like-minded changemakers across the Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA). Begin Friday night with a smile and announce yourself upon walking into the 5th floor (Executive Board Level) of Brennan Hall at The University of Scranton. You, as a Scramble attendee, are already a proven and self-selected leader. Keep in mind this event was never positioned or marketed as “mandatory.” Through strategic marketing and outreach, the goal is to attract people (of any age really) who “get it.”
Expect to build a venture (business, social, artistic, etc.) in a weekend. Whether you have an idea, you hope to join a venture team, or you are just curious to lend a helping hand, ALL ROADS LEAD TO LAUNCH. The goal of the weekend is to begin building a self-sustaining grassroots startup culture in NEPA and to pitch, plan, and launch ventures that address opportunities and/or social issues on a local, national, or global scale. Work vigorously to achieve this end. The tools, resources, and human capital are available on-site and accessible to all. For example, if you are interested in launching a venture that addresses a logistical challenge that rescue crews are experiencing in Haiti, ask yourself, what can we feasibly launch at the Scramble in 54 hours? And, how can we build on our efforts post-Scramble? Don’t set-out to build a flux capacitor–it just won’t happen.
Is this a competition?
No. Don’t think of the Scramble as You v. Them. Open yourself up to different ideas and develop new skill sets. On Friday evening, everyone gets to pitch if they choose. You can also sit back and watch, then offer your expertise to the venture you find most intereting you would like to join. That means any venture can pull students’ from any university!
Do I need to have an idea beforehand?
No, but it is always helpful if you have a few ideas in mind. Even if you have a venture concept that you do not intend to pursue, someone else may be able to take the concept and run with it. The Scramble is about fostering an open and ongoing environment of collaboration, critical thinking, and initiative-taking. The FB Group is a perfect place to start a discussion on this topic.
Think locally, nationally, and globally. Ventures ideas can stem from any industry, sector, inspiration, or social issue. Remember that ventures should possess the ability to be sustainable and scalable.
What if I already have an idea?
Great. Pitch it! (Unless you feel your idea is proprietary and confidential, in which case, we recommend you don’t pitch it. For example, if you have an idea for a revolutionary widget that is ripe for patenting, it is probably best you keep that to yourself for now. =)
Do I need to stay the entire time? (What if I need to leave for a few hours?)
No, but your team is probably depending on you and/or your skill set. Clear communication is the key. Please be respectful of everyone’s time and efforts. It is highly encouraged that you try to remain on-site for the entire duration of the Scramble.
Where do we sleep?
Why would you sleep when you only have ~50 hours before pitching? Kidding! Plan to sleep at your home or a family/friend’s place in the area. If you are having trouble finding a place to stay, hurry-up and make friends! Always have a worst-case scenario plan. We can turn to the fellow Scramblers to help solve this—post on the FB Group if you are coming in from out of town. Also, just because the venue closes for the night, don’t think venture planning has to come to an end. Find a dorm room, restaurant, or apartment and keep on keepin’ on!
What happens after the weekend concludes?
Post-StartUp Scramble you continue to build the local network of changemakers. Even if your venture unwinds/folds/collapses immediately after the Scramble, you now have a starting point, a soundboard, potential teammates, and mentors to launch your next idea! We plan to have more Scrambles and innovative startup programs in the future as well.
What should I wear?
Be comfortable–casual and presentable.
What type of ventures (company or organization) can we launch?
Launch any venture that aims to be sustainable, scalable, and addresses something of relevance in the business/social, or creative space. Be sure that the lion’s share of the strategic planning can be completed over the weekend in time for the pitch. For example, trying to invent a new type of pollution-absorbing rain cloud may not work for the Scramble’s purposes and intent.
What else should I do in preparation?
1. Get a good night’s sleep the evening before and always try to BE ON TIME
2. Sign-up for a free 30-day Funding Roadmap account (www.fundingroadmap.com) and get familiar before the weekend kicks-off
3. Review the Elevator and Final Pitch templates (posted soon)
4. Bring a reusable water bottle (we’re going green, baby!)
5. Bring your laptop (and power source), a video camera/camera, and anything else you think may be helpful
6. Register a Twitter account (www.twitter.com), follow @StartUpScramble and use #ScrambleNEPA in every post
7. Sign-up for a WordPress account (www.wordpress.com) and begin blogging about your Scramble experience
8. Read the FAQs at www.nepa.startupscramble.com/faqs/
Any other advice?
The StartUp Scramble™ is truly what you make of it. Be respectful—to your peers and teammates, our guests and sponsors, the venue, and especially yourself. It gets stressful running low on sleep and looming deadlines. Respect the process. RESPECT is the overarching theme.
Push yourself to explore new skill sets, ask questions, and learn. Have a blast. If you are not having fun, assume no one is. Negate negativity and pump positivity. If you are unable to meaningfully contribute, self-select yourself out of the moments activity, refresh yourself, and find a way to add value. Please do not disrupt or you may be asked to leave the premise. Keep it classy.
Get ready for an amazing weekend and let’s Scramble NEPA!
Top 5 Reasons You Haven’t Signed-Up (Yet) & Co-Founder of Meetup.com Scrambles NEPA!
Top 5 Reasons You Haven’t Signed-Up (Yet) & Co-Founder of Meetup.com Scrambles NEPA!
You haven’t signed up yet? Really?! What are you waiting for: A startup scene in NEPA to start up without you?
The line-up of entrepreneurs, executives, sponsors, mentors, and presenters ready to support your ideas for new ventures (businesses/organizations/initiatives/ projects/performances/art) is astounding. The StartUp Scramble is the beginning of a grassroots startup community for anyone starting anything in NEPA.
With less than 3 weeks until the Scramble, we’ve compiled the top 5 reasons excuses NEPAliens (who are currently not registered for the StartUp Scramble) are using:
1) I’m busy (or “not sure what I’m doing”) the weekend of July 30th – August 1st.
Everyone is busy. But are you busy doing the right things? Busy-ness does not necessarily correlate to productivity and productivity does not necessarily guarantee success. Perhaps you plan to be out of town that weekend, or don’t believe you can commit the entire weekend…
Here’s what to do: Sign-up if you can make 70%-80% of the Scramble, that’s absolutely fine. If you have a prior non-negotiable commitment, please make sure your friends are psyched for the Scramble and help spread the word. Investing time and energy in yourself and your community needs to be high up on your priority list. If you have to leave the Scramble for a few hours, do it by all means–just be sure to communicate your plans with your teammates!
Conclusion: Sign up.
2) I don’t have a good startup idea.
Chances are you actually have tons of good startup ideas, but you’ve rarely had an open, supportive, and non-judgmental outlet in which to express them. If you really don’t have a startup idea, consider yourself a high-value participant ready to be recruited. Use your expertise, interests, and energy to join a team and help start something. Along the way you will learn how to launch something from the ground-up just in case your Eureka moment hits!
Conclusion: Sign up.
3) Nobody cares about what I want to do.
Oh yeah? Let’s prove it…together.
Conclusion: Sign up.
4) This is just another event that will fade and fizzle, fo’ shizzle.
Gaining momentum to host an innovative event in NEPA is a funny thing: It requires actual people. The StartUp Scramble is the proverbial gunpowder that can ignite the explosion that sends the startup community of silver bullets flying. We have strategies, sponsors, and stakeholders that stand prepared to ensure the grassroots NEPA startup scene is fired up and ready to go post-Scramble. Take ownership of the startup scene; make yourself part of the solution.
Conclusion: Sign up.
5) It’s too expensive.
It’s true, there is a buy-in fee–$75/$40 for full-time students. Why? Events are costly. We partner with sponsors to help offset event and programming costs, which in turn reduces the price for participants. We hope to provide meals and/or meal subsidies to participants too. Also, skin-in-the-game is a huge component to these events. It also comes down to this: If you do not feel comfortable investing a small amount in yourself, you can’t expect anyone else to invest in you.
Conclusion: Sign up.
See where we’re going with this?
Lastly, it is an honor to announce that Peter Kamali, Co-Founder of the infamous MeetUp.com has confirmed a seat on Sunday evening’s Final Pitch/Demo Panel. NEPA, please welcome Peter!
Check out Peter’s bio here.
Peter’s presence adds to an already stellar team of mentors, presenters, panelists, and guests that will be on-site throughout the weekend!
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN NEPA LAUNCH, FUND VENTURES IN 54 HOURS WITH HELP OF LOCAL LEADERS
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN NEPA LAUNCH, FUND VENTURES IN 54 HOURS WITH HELP OF LOCAL LEADERS
The official event press release is live! View it here and help us spread the word within your NEPA network! GET YOUR TICKET ASAFP!
—————————————————————————–
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN NEPA LAUNCH, FUND VENTURES IN 54 HOURS WITH HELP OF LOCAL LEADERS
The “StartUp Scramble” aims to help young people in Northeast Pennsylvania rebuild a vibrant startup community around their unique talents with the support and guidance of local business and civic leaders. The event takes place from July 30 – August 1, 2010 in Brennan Hall of the Kania School of Management at The University of Scranton. Tickets are on sale now at www.nepa.startupscramble.com.
(SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA) June 21, 2010 – Young people in Northeast Pennsylvania will have an opportunity to turn their ideas for start-up businesses, organizations, and artistic ventures into realities in 54 hours. The StartUp Scramble™ NEPA Challenge will take place this summer from July 30th to August 1st at The University of Scranton.
“As a leading business school in our region, the Kania School of Management supports and promotes the growth of entrepreneurship education in the region in many ways,” said Dr. Michael O. Mensah, dean of the Kania School of Management at The University of Scranton, the event venue host. “Recently we launched the Women’s Business Center in collaboration with the University of Scranton’s Small Business Center, and now we are proud to help bring this exciting opportunity to young professionals wishing to explore their innovative ideas in this exciting forum.”
The StartUp Scramble is a weekend-long startup retreat dedicated to mobilizing the area’s budding creative and enterprising talent. Organized by Young Impact—an interactive edutainment company founded by Clarks Summit native Stephen Douglass, 27—the event is sponsored by a consortium of leading local businesses, organizations, and individuals. “The Scramble is about re-igniting young innovators to take ownership of the local startup community by effectively channeling resources to fuel their ideas and ambitions. No one has a monopoly on innovation,” highlights Mr. Douglass.
With Northeast Pennsylvania’s focus on job creation and workforce skill development, the StartUp Scramble’s accelerated venture development process affords participants the education, experience, and support necessary to start ventures from the ground-up. “To engage a local pool of talent and energy like this under one roof for 54 hours promises to be a creative explosion with unforeseen positive outcomes,” said Karla Porter, Director of Workforce Development and Human Resources for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber.
The last StartUp Scramble™ took place in Washington D.C. and yielded twelve startup ventures, several of which secured funding through Ashoka’s Youth Venture. Attendees also landed numerous job and internship opportunities by networking with executives at the event. Facilitators, guest mentors, expert speakers, and panelists will join participants throughout the weekend, giving attendees opportunities to meaningfully network with potential investors, service providers, and employers. Updates will be streamed via Internet through the web sites, Twitter, attendee blogs, and photo and video sharing social media platforms. Several event information and networking events will be held leading up to the StartUp Scramble.
The event will be hosted on the 5th floor of Brennan Hall at The University of Scranton. Space is limited to 60 attendees and registration is $75.00 or $40.00 for full-time students. Tickets can be purchased at www.nepa.startupscramble.com. StartUp Scramble™ updates and details of the upcoming information sessions are also posted on the event website.
About Young Impact
Young Impact (YI) provides interactive edutainment for students and young professionals. Our growing portfolio of programs and educational media links Campuses, Communities, and Companies that are committed to generating a culture of innovation, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship. Launched in 2002 with seed funding from Ashoka’s Youth Venture, the YI network is comprised of a growing global consortium of emerging and established social and business leaders. Please visit www.YoungImpact.com and follow insights and adventures in real-time on Twitter @YoungImpact.
———–
Members of the press are invited to attend the weekend. For more information, please contact:
Stephen Douglass | E-mail: Stephen[at]Youngimpact.com | Phone: 570-362-3529
StartUp Scramble Info Sessions, Tickets, and Speakers
StartUp Scramble Info Sessions, Tickets, and Speakers
This is an awesome SUS NEPA update:
First, please join us at several Scramble NEPA info sessions coming up in July–dates TBA. At these gatherings, we’ll not only address exactly what will go down at the event, but also how we are working to build NEPA’s grassroots startup community of creatives, innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs. Details will be posted here, via Twitter @StartUpScramble, and on the StartUp Scramble Facebook Group. Email stephen [@] youngimpact.com for more information.
Secondly, while coordinating the SUS’s online ticketing with Steve Wilison of NEPATickets.com, he announced a strategic partnership with EventBrite (the online ticketing platform we’ve used at previous events)! Congrats to Steve for all of his hard work over the years as NEPA’s leading local ticketing solutions provider. Tickets go on sale this Monday, June 21st.
And lastly, BLAKE JENNELLE is set to join us over the weekend. Blake is a potent force within Philadelphia’s rapidly growing startup community. He is the founder of several startups and is mobilizing the Missioneurs movement globally. His insights and energy will help young people in NEPA blaze a new culture of innovation from the bottom-up!
StartUp Scramble™ NEPA Challenge set for July 30-August 1, 2010
StartUp Scramble™ NEPA Challenge set for July 30-August 1, 2010
What happens when you take 60 of the most creative and entrepreneurial people in NEPA, lock them in a venue for 54 hours, and tell them to launch “something”?
We’re about to find out!
The inaugural StartUp Scramble™ NEPA Challenge is an intense weekend retreat connecting local Geeks, Artists, Entrepreneurs, Activists, Innovators, Techies, and Creatives!
We’re inviting entrepreneurial college students and young professionals across Northeast Pennsylvania to build and launch new business, social, and artistic ventures in 54 hours. Hosted over the weekend of July 30, 2010, local business and civic leaders will join attendees to provide start-up guidance and resources in Brennan Hall of the Kania School of Management at the University of Scranton. Tickets go on sale in mid-June.
Join the StartUp Scramble Facebook Group here and follow updates on Twitter.
The last StartUp Scramble™ took place in Washington D.C. and yielded twelve startup ventures, several of which secured funding through Ashoka’s Youth Venture. Attendees also landed numerous job, internship, and funding opportunities by networking with company executives and organization directors at the event. Facilitators, guest mentors, expert speakers, and panel judges will join participants throughout the weekend, providing this same opportunity to meaningfully connect with potential investors, service providers, and employers. Updates will be streamed via Internet through the web sites, Twitter, attendee blogs, and photo and video sharing social media platforms.
The event will be held on the 5th floor of Brennan Hall at the University of Scranton. Space is limited to 60 attendees and registration is $75.00 or $40.00 for full-time students. The limited StartUp Scramble™ NEPA Challenge registration is set to open late June. Check back for event information, new speakers and guests, and other announcements!
