Following months of extensive planning and dozens of event submissions from local startup supporters, the schedule for Startup Week Chattanooga (SWC) is now available to the public. Held Oct. 6--11, this six--day celebration will feature nearly 50 events that highlight Chattanooga’s growing startup scene, showcase local innovation and connect the public with entrepreneurial resources.
SWC will kick off at 8 a.m. on Oct. 6 in Miller Plaza, the home of SWC Basecamp. Information about SWC events and activities will be available at this location throughout the week. The majority of SWC events are free and open to the public, while others require pre-registration and an admission fee. Additional events and event details will be incorporated into the online schedule over the coming weeks.
“Startup Week Chattanooga adds an entirely new dynamic to startup life in our community,” said Meghan O’Dea, storyteller for Lamp Post Group. “With activities spanning three entrepreneurial tracks – Tech, Creative and Social – the celebration not only reflects Chattanooga’s entrepreneurial strongholds, it also highlights the ties between them. As participants engage in events throughout the week, we hope to inspire a cross-pollination of ideas, skills and resources across our greater startup ecosystem.”
The full experience will feature a wide range of programming, such as guest talks from national innovation leaders, workshops, startup showcases and awards, evening social events, live music and more. Special presenters include:
· Brad Feld (via video conference), co-founder of Techstars and author of Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City
· David Weinberger, author of Too Big to Know and senior researcher at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society
· Chris Guillebeau, author of New York Times best seller The $100 Startup, as well as The Art of Non-Conformity and The Happiness of Pursuit
· Victor Saad, founder of Experience Institute
· Aaron Irizarry, product designer at Nasdaq and expert in UX (user experience) and IA (information architecture)
· Nicole Gravagna, co--author of Venture Capital for Dummies
Throughout
SWC,
participants
will
have
the
opportunity
to
interact
with
peers
and
experts
as
they
explore
topics
like
how
to
launch
a
successful
Kickstarter
campaign,
what
it
takes
to
become
an
angel
investor,
ways
to
recruit
talent
and
how
to
build
cooperation
between
developers
and
visionaries
in
the
workplace.Other
key
events
include
a
CO.STARTERS
Summit
on
community
building,
the
Chattanooga
Mini
Maker
Faire,
the
official
launch
of
Center
Centre,
the
CHA
Startup
Awards
and
an
Innovation
Delegation
tour,
among
many
more.
SWC is a production of the startup community for the startup community. Several local organizations, each dedicated to entrepreneurial growth and community development, have combined forces to bring Startup Week to the Chattanooga area.
Those organizations include The Company Lab (CO.LAB) and Lamp Post Group. Other key organizers include Variable, Inc., River City Company, Chattanooga Public Library, Society of Work and Causeway. SWC is made possible with the support of The Benwood Foundation and Lyndhurst Foundation, as well as a number of local sponsors.
To learn more about Startup Week Chattanooga, visit www.startupweekcha.com. Please direct inquiries to Tia Capps at tia@colab.is or Meghan O’Dea at meghan.o’dea@lamppostgroup.com.