The 54-hour immersive experience will focus on finding sustainable solutions through entrepreneurship
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Join UMassD students and students from around the globe for the 2022 Startup Weekend, a 54-hour virtual event. Startup Weekend begins Friday evening (February 25) with anyone pitching a startup idea in 30 seconds. Attendees (including artists, engineers, and business professionals) will vote on the best pitches and work on the ideas all weekend to present their work to a panel of judges.
Recognizing the importance of sustainable solutions, this year’s Startup Weekend asks aspiring entrepreneurs to develop ventures that address issues relating to poverty, inequality, climate change, and/or environmental degradation, four of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals listed by the United Nations. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.
Over 54 hours, business-minded individuals and sustainability enthusiasts will work on startup ideas that enhance our economy, society, and environment. Small teams are formed around the best ideas, and these teams work through Sunday evening. Note that students do not need to present an idea to participate but can join a team of their choosing on Friday night. Participants and their team members will create a prototype, validate the business idea, and receive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs. Findings are presented to a panel of judges. The best startups are awarded prizes, consisting of support from companies.
This is the eighth year UMass Dartmouth is hosting Startup Weekend. This global event, sponsored by Techstars, takes place in more than 150 countries, comprising roughly 428,000 participants, and has inspired more than 500 startups and 19,000+ entrepreneurs.
Beyond gaining valuable startup experience, students also receive several other benefits from participating, including:
- Learning how to validate ideas
- Increasing business, technical, and design skills
- Prototyping and no-code app development
- Exploring a fun new community
- Seeing a range of new ventures pitch their ideas
- Pitching yourself, gaining practice, comments, and insights
- Making connections for the future
UMass Dartmouth students, regardless of major, are strongly encouraged to participate in this free virtual event. Anyone interested in the SouthCoast entrepreneurial community is also welcome to participate. Visit the UMassD Startup Weekend website to learn more, register, and view the schedule.