Startup Champs at SXSW
SCN (at) SXSW
Why SXSW? Or, first, what are “Startup Champions”? I refer to the Startup Champions network:
“A national sharing group dedicated to supporting innovation ecosystem builders across the United States and the entrepreneurs they serve.
“We are building a national network of best-in-class innovation ecosystem builders and connecting them to people, resources, and events around the nation to support their communities and their work.”
Read more about us here: http://www.championsnetwork.co/ (I’m proud to be a member).
But about SXSW. For those of us who are fans, it’s the worldwide capital for innovation for one week or so in March, and you might not be able to conceive of not going. But it’s also a little expensive, busy and noisy, especially if you don’t know your way around. To make it easier for innovation ecosystem builders to make the most of the festival and related activities, here are a handful of resources and events the Startup Champions Network is involved with:
HBCU@SXSW
Have you seen this line-up yet? Wow. Tons of activities and content from our friends and colleagues at HBCU@SXSW running Friday, March 9th through the 11th with a full day of SXSW official programming on the 10th:
Official SXSW Sessions will be in the JW Marriot (Salons 3 & 4):
Solutions for Hiring Top Minority Tech Talent — 9.30A — 10.30A
Racking the Racial Bias in Artificial Intelligence — 9:30A — 10:30A
Building Safe Workspaces for Millennials of Color — 11.00A — 12.00P
Blacks on the Blockchain — 12:30A — 1:30P
Black Entrepreneurship Beyond Music and Sports — 3.30P — 4.30P
Trap Goes Tech: A Cade Study — 5.00P — 6.00P
But again, that’s just a taste. Check it all out here: http://hbcuatsxsw.co/schedule/
AMERICAN CITIES HOUSE
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is working with TechCo and Startup of the Year to create “The American Cities House” on Saturday, March 10th. Here’s a rundown on the schedule:
11:00 AM | Doors open, come on in! See what’s happening with startup cities from across the country!
12:30 PM | Startup Celebration Lunch on the Roof
1:30 PM — 4:30 PM | Kauffman Foundation Mentor Sessions (RSVP coming soon)
| Black Tech Week & digitalundivided VC Sessions (invite-only event)
2:45 PM | Black Tech Week & digitalundivided Fireside Chats (RSVP coming soon)
6:00 PM | TechCo’s Startup Night SXSW Pitch Jam (invite-only event)
STARTUP NIGHT
The night of the 10th is also “Startup Night SXSW 2018” Presented by the Kauffman Foundation & TechCo
Saturday 3/10; 8:00 PM — 12:00 AM; Maggie Mae’s
Startup Night Returns with great pitches, great judges and one of the biggest startup parties of the Festival. Sign up here.
For those interested in showcasing their communities at SXSW and meeting other like-minded folks, consider joining Tech.co and the Kauffman Foundation in the American Cities House during the day (3/10). Spots may still available; email jen (at) @tech.co to learn more and be part of the event.
OTHER SCN MEMBERS AT SXSW
Startup Cities: Albuquerque, Honolulu, Lincoln & More
The first-ever Startup Cities event at SXSW will provide the opportunity for individuals to highlight their local startup community and tell the world why their emerging startup city is one of the best places for entrepreneurs to set up a business — and three Startup Champs’ communities will be featured (including mine!). Each of us will have 10 minutes to make their presentation plus an additional five minutes to answer any questions from the audience.
Sunday 3/11; Hilton Austin Downtown, Room 400–402
3:45–4:00 PM; Albuquerque, NM — Eric Renz-Whitmore — @ewhitmore
https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP99128
4:15–4:30 PM; Honolulu, Hawaii — Tarik Sultan @SultanTarik
https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP99538
4:30–4:45 PM; Lincoln, NE — Lana Zumbrunn @Lana_Zum
https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP99539
Restructure Your Startup Network in 6 Months
We all know the saying “your network is your net worth.” It means that you should invest in authentic relationships because social capital is important. From VC’s to Corporate Partnerships there are many ways entrepreneurs can start and grow their ventures. Restructuring your startup network in 6 months means understanding people buy into you before they buy into your product. Utilize the relationships you have and make a plan to obtain relationships you need.
Sunday, 3/11; 5:00–6:00 PM; Hilton Austin Downtown Salon K
Archna Sahay, J Nowak Strategy @ArchnaSahay
Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne, Harriet Fund
Tiffanie Stanard, Stimulus LLC @TiffanieStanard
Dalila Wilson-Scott, Comcast NBCUniversal @dalila_says
https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP73449
Learn more about the Cities Summit here: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/track/Cities%20Summit
I’m sure there are more events and activities to come. And a survival guide or two (here’s a good one). Which other events should Innovation Ecosystem Builders have on their radar?
