Startup Week offers over 100 events for entrepreneurs
Chattanooga’s fifth annual week-long celebration of entrepreneurship and new business starts will include more than 120 events for those launching new businesses or looking to work or invest in new enterprises.
Startup Week is expected to draw thousands of participants to events this week in and around the Innovation District downtown.
“Startup Week Chattanooga is one of the most important experiences for entrepreneurs in our region,” said Marcus Shaw, CEO of CO.LAB, which coordinates the annual week-long series of workshops, seminars and networking events. “This is a time for our entrepreneurial community to come together and learn tips for refining their businesses, to connect with peers and to celebrate Chattanooga’s vibrant ecosystem of creators.”
The week will feature a wide range of programming, such as workshops, startup showcases and awards, evening social events and even live music.
Startup Week this year actually began a day early on Saturday with the Chattanooga Mini Maker Faire at the Public Library, which drew hundreds of crafters, students, scientists, tech enthusiasts and spectators to the all-day event.
Tonight, teachers will take center stage as they pitch their big ideas for education in front of a panel of judges and the public during the “Teacherpreneur Pitch Night,” starting at 4 p.m. at the Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall on Riverfront Parkway.
An even bigger pitch night is set for Monday night when the annual “Will This Float? will launch Chattanooga’s version of the Kiva loan program at the Waterhouse Pavilion in Miller Plaza. Kiva is a global nonprofit, started in San Francisco in 2005, that provides no-interest loans of up to $10,000 to help seed business startups. Each Kiva finalist will get three minutes to tell potential mentors, team members and investors why his or her business concept is worthy of support and promise. At the end of the evening, the winning entrepreneur who collects the most votes from judges and the public will receive a cash prize and a package of free business services.
On Tuesday night at 6 p.m.. at the Edney Building, the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union’s Idea Leap Grant Pitch Night will feature 10 finalists who will vie for one of five grants, totaling $50,000, from Chattanooga’s biggest credit union through the newly created Idea Leap Grant Initiative.
The most prestigious awards of the week will be given during the biggest event of the week — the Spirit of Innovation award luncheon on Wednesday at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the annual awards luncheon and Innovation Fair where the Spirit of Innovation and Early Innovator awards for 2018 will be presented.
Miller Plaza will serve as the “Basecamp” of Startup Week Chattanooga and the downtown park will provide information about events and activities for the public. The majority of Startup Week events are free and open to the public, but some do require pre-registration and an admission fee.
“The range of events occurring throughout the week offer opportunities for entrepreneurs at every stage of business, and we are looking forward to seeing them strengthen their companies and connections throughout the week,” Shaw said.
Allison Reedy, chief operating officer for CO.LAB, said organizer of Startup Week cut down the number of events from more than 200 last year.
“But there are still a lot of events and we want to continue to make this grow every year,” she told the Enterprise Center board of directors last week.
A schedule of Startup Week Chattanooga events is available online at colab. co/startupweekcha/