Introducing StartupBus North America 2018.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Believe it or not, StartupBus is now in its 9th year, which is an eternity in Internet time. What started off 9 years ago as a hackathon on a bus that ended in an epic pitch battle in SXSW has now become a legend — an annual tradition and pilgrimage for hackers and founders from all over the world.
The craziest part is that it works. StartupBus accelerates entrepreneurs to start their business. The unique combo of a road trip, hackathon, and competition takes our riders out of their comfort zone. In just 5 days, they would realize their full potential, and step up to become a fearless founder to pursue their dreams and impact the lives of many. Just this past week, companies formed by our alumni have raised altogether US$1 billion in funding, while improving the lives of millions of their users.
Will you become part of our lineage of amazing founders, and create the startup that raises the next billion dollars?
Introducing StartupBus North America 2018.
The Important Details
- Dates: April 27 (Friday) to May 1 (Tuesday), 2018
- Destination: New Orleans, during New Orleans Jazz Fest and Collision Conference
- 10 Bus Routes: Silicon Valley, San Diego, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Texas, St. Louis, Detroit, Ohio, Florida, and New York
- Apply today at https://startupbus.com/apply
The buses will depart in 9 weeks. We have carefully calibrated the dates so that you get to experience the road trip and the city of New Orleans to their fullest, at the intersection of technology and humanities: You will get to meet and pitch to the 20,000+ tech executives and attendees heading to Collision Conference, as well as the top artistic talents at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.
The best way to learn entrepreneurship is by doing. During the 3 days of road trip, you will form your team, conceive an idea together, build that product, pitch to users and investors, and get traction, with the goal of launching your dream startup within 72 hours, and with the help and support of your bus conductors and mentors along the way.
The final showdown in New Orleans between all 10 buses will be more intense and action-packed than ever, with more stringent judging criteria to make sure only the best can qualify for the finals, more transparency to help you understand and learn what you can do better, and a more educational approach that helps prepare you for meeting investors in the real world.
Join our diverse alumni community across the continent
Since 2010, our alumni community has grown steadily with 1800+ alumni around the world, with a diverse cultural background across 4 continents. Not everyone can join the community — every single member has been carefully vetted and interviewed by each of our conductors, in order to make sure that they are talented, open-minded, and adventurous.
As you have already known, StartupBus is a road trip designed to take you out of your comfort zone. However, there’s one thing you can be sure about: We understand the horror of being stuck in a bus with hostile team members that are uncomfortable for the wrong reasons: Reasons that had nothing to do with one’s talent and the work they need to do. We had been enforcing our Code of Conduct for the past few years to ensure that this won’t happen on our buses. Moreover, this year we are putting extra efforts in building a diverse team of conductors in order to reach and be more inclusive to a wider demographic.
By riding StartupBus, you will become part of a #DreamTeam you can’t buy your way into and join the ranks with some of the most elite hackers, makers, and founders around. Start friendships that will last a lifetime and fill your Rolodex with a list of insanely awesome people that you can call at any time.
Chances to change your life don’t come often. So, what are you waiting for?
Apply for #StartupBus2018 today.
To get your invite code, pitch to us why StartupBus is great for you by DM-ing us on Twitter or replying to this post on Medium.
See you on the bus!
Cheers,
The StartupBus North America 2018 Team and
Madelena Mak, National Director of StartupBus North America 2018
