The beginner’s guide to Twin Cities Startup Week

Twin Cities Startup Week (TCSW) is overwhelming in the best way. Accordingly, we thought it may be helpful for vets and newbies, alike, to get everyone on the same page heading into our Kickoff on Oct 8th. Take your seats class, TCSW-101 begins now…

Where did TCSW come from?

The week was conceived in 2014 by a small group of entrepreneurs and community organizers. By concentrating events like Beta.MN’s Showcase, Minne*’s Minnedemo, the MN Cup Finale and Startup Weekend in the same week, the group sought to bring greater local and regional attention to the area’s burgeoning startup scene.

What is TCSW?

TCSW is the front door in which guests enter to discover the incredible innovations taking place within the Twin Cities’ startup ecosystem. It’s also a celebration of all of the amazing things being built by the area’s brightest minds. Each day is filled with events, meetups, panels, bike rides and more, sourced from the greater entrepreneurial community.

How does it work?

The week begins with a Kickoff Party, followed by several days of action-packed programming. Attendees are encouraged to sign up for the week, which invites them to build a personal calendar of events, within the TCSW app. Daytime activities include free coworking, exercise opportunities and a multitude of events hosted by the community. The evenings include the Week’s signature events, hosted by Techstars, the MN Cup, Beta.MN, MinneDemo, DocuMNtary and more. The Week concludes with an Awards Ceremony, celebrating the “best of.”

Who participates in the Week?

In 2017, just over 12,000 people participated in more than 150 events. This week is for anyone who wants to learn more about, or actively engage in building, the next greatest thing. If you are an entrepreneur, an emerging leader or an innovator from a startup, minority community, corporation, non-profit, for-profit, investor group, government agency and more this week was designed for you.

With new entrants like Techstars’ Farm to Fork, Food Ag & Ideas Week, the Manova Conference and MEDA’s 1-million dollar prize competition, there is no doubt that the Week is shaping up to be the best yet! So keep an eye out for the schedule, register for the week and get your rest, you will need it.