Sheffield, South Yorkshire (22nd-24th November 2019) – For entrepreneurs, developers and designers. For anyone who has an idea for a business, or just enjoys making new things. Over 54-hours turn an idea into a business. Meet some great people. Form a team. Build a prototype. Talk to customers. Pitch it to experts. Oh, and maybe win some prizes!
The Startup Weekend event has been running in Sheffield since 2012, and this is the 15th edition. It has seen the formation of a number of businesses and teams. Participants join a huge community of alumni. The latest instalment in Sheffield is taking place at Kollider, the hottest new startup space in the region.
This event has a number of sponsors from the local community and broader, the Platinum sponsors are Kollider and Sheffield Technology Parks. The Gold sponsor is the British Computer Society and Silver sponsor is Tutorful.
We have an amazing cohort of coaches to support the attendees on their entrepreneurial journeys. Elizabeth Shassere, a former winner of Startup Weekend Sheffield and entrepreneur. Jon Rhodes, the founder of a leading design agency in the city. Neil Chandler, an entrepreneur and technology leader. Lauren Nicholson, a successful previous participant and technology ecosystem builder. James Taylor, a leading marketing and PR specialist that works to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Rik Courtney, a leading voice in the use of social media to grow your business. And Dan Dukeson, a founder and technology leader at a unicorn startup.
The participants will ultimately pitch their businesses to a panel of judges drawn from the local entrepreneurial ecosystem’s best and brightest. Francesca Noble, Enterprise Coordinator for the Barnsley Business Village and ScaleUp 360 program. Giles Moore, a former Startup Weekend Sheffield winner with Airstoc who took the idea onto being a funded business and now helps businesses find funding through Campus Capital. Mark Hughes, a successful local entrepreneur and cofounder of Tutorful – the largest tuition company in the country. And Maria Keshavarz a successful local entrepreneur and founder of DeNovo Bespoke.
The event is run by a team of local volunteers: Harry Liddell, Lei Nicandro, and Phil Hornby lead by Denislav Ivanov all with the support of a global facilitator Galin Zhelyazkov.
If the coaches and judges were not enough inspiration there will also be a speaker at the event. Adiam Amanuel – the winner of the previous edition in Sheffield will be there to tell the participants about the journey she has been on since the event. As well as the team that she was able to build around her, many of whom participated in the event.
Other local sponsors are also helping make the event a success with prizes and other in-kind support including Sheffield Hallam University’s iLab, Paper Design Studio, Roaring Mouse PR, SOT Consulting, Campus Capital and Sticker Mule.
By the end of the weekend the attendees have an opportunity to start a business, meet some great people and win some prizes that will help propel those businesses forward if they choose to take them further. The prizes include:
• Incubation space in Kollider and Hallam iLab to give businesses somewhere to grow
• Coaching sessions with leaders in marketing, design/delivery and product strategy to help guide their path to success
• A pitch and feedback session with entrepreneurs and investors through Sheffield Technology Parks
• A range of entrepreneurial books to help their continued learning
Visit www.sheffield.startupweekend.org for information and tickets or e-mail sheffield@startupweekend.org