WTF… You Changed Demo Day?!?!
Excelerate Labs launched in Chicago in 2010 and joined forces with Techstars in 2013 — creating the Techstars Chicago that we all know and love today. The impact on the tech community here has been widespread and profound — a gathering place for world-class mentors, supporting high growth companies, and creating a formative time/place for many of our emerging community leaders. The Chicago tech community has come a long way since 2010 — with many people, institutions, and companies deserving credit… Along with that, there has been an explosion of events; pitches, award shows, conferences, talks, meetups, happy hours, and the like.
To me, one event always stood out — Techstars Chicago Demo Day at the House of Blues. Sam and Troy on-stage, big keynote speaker, amazing production, and high quality companies delivering exquisitely executed pitches. Friends and colleagues joined to network, to be inspired by the founders stories, and to celebrate Chicago tech.
When taking over as Managing Director, I recognized that these were big shoes to fill, and that I’m massively under-qualified to fill them. But, I was fortunate to have a playbook, and an outline for how to execute. My challenge was to respect the process and proven best practices of Techstars Chicago, but do so in a way that was authentic, fit my thesis, and when necessary, to try new things. To recognize the successes that have changed the game, then to appreciate and operate within the new landscape.
Techstars Chicago Demo Day 2017 will not be at The House of Blues.
I’ll let that sink in… I know some will be :(
Why?
Well, at the core of the decision — our community has grown exponentially, and frankly, I believe the need for large community events has been filled, or perhaps, runneth over. With the infrastructure, investors, co-working spaces, and events we have in place, we’re good. All covered. The next phase of growth will be driven solely on the shoulders of great companies and founders. An intense Founder Focus.
What does that mean?
We’re changing format — moving from the big all-in-one Demo Day to dedicated sessions (morning & evening) for Investors (institutional, angel, or highly motivated prospective investors) and a Community Demo Day.
Investor Demo Day will be on October 11th in the Auditorium at 1871. This will be a highly curated event with morning and evening sessions, both same content — just repeated to enable time optionality, and a more intimate setting. The choice is simple: Are you a breakfast or a cocktails person? IF YOU’D LIKE TO REQUEST INVITE, PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY (logan.lahive@techstars.com).
We’ll be holding our Community Demo Day @ Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law on the evening of October 12th starting at 5pm. A celebration of pitches for Mentors, Customers, Friends & Family, and Supporters. Link below to RSVP… do so soon as capacity is limited.
It also means shorter pitches (~5 minute vs 8–9 minute). No keynote talks or panels. No light shows, branded balloons, or live bands. But, what I can promise you is 10 of the absolute TOP early stage companies you’ll see this year, bar none. Big ideas (hopefully finessed from BAD IDEAS). Founders that care deeply about solving problems in big markets. And, world-class teams comprised of even better human beings.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMPANIES HERE
Following the events, we’ll be working to distribute high-quality content about our cohort to investors outside of Chicago, who have a proliferation of local Demo Days to attend. And, as a cohort, we’ll be heading to NYC the week after program (October 17th-19th), and SF/Oakland the following week (October 24th-26th).
Our goal is simple…To be Intensely Founder Focused. We’re trying to accomplish this by working to put them in position to have high quality investor/customer meetings. I’ve yet to see a check thrown on the stage at a Demo Day… although I’m hoping this year will be the first. ;) Meetings is where the rubber meets the road — and is the preferred engagement structure of founders and investors/customers. Like our cohort startups, we have to be aware of major shifts in the landscape, and adapt ourselves to meet the customer where they are.
In leading an accelerator, the Product is not the Demo Day. It’s the education, support, and network offered to the founders — for life. Demo Day is a great opportunity — but it's simply a moment in time, on (hopefully) a long journey.
We hope you’ll come celebrate this special moment for Techstars Chicago 2017 with us… and help kick-off the next stage of these founder's journeys.
REQUEST INVITE TO INVESTOR DEMO DAY
(by emailing me: logan.lahive@techstars.com or DM @loganlahive)