Bloomington Startup Weekend packs year of work into 3 days

Beginning Friday Feb. 8, about 100 individuals will defy common business conceptions by condensing the first year of a new business plan into three days. In the new Bloomington Startup Weekend, students, professors and community members will gather together to create a business that markets a new service or product. This 54-hour event will run Friday through Sunday at City Hall. \nThe surface-level goal is to create a business, said Kevin Makice, marketing director for Bloomington Startup Weekend. However, Makice said, what the program really does is connect people from diverse backgrounds who normally would not meet.\nBloomington is the 15th site for Startup Weekend, which originated in Boulder, Colo., in July. Since then, various cities, such as Seattle and West Lafayette, have hosted the event, drawing anywhere from 36 to 134 participants. \n“We wanted to get 36 (participants), because that’s what Purdue had,” Makice said. “The only real disappointment is that we didn’t end up with a 50/50 split with women. I would like to see all of the last spots go to women.”\nMakice stressed the importance of seeking gender equality in the program. Diversity in general is important for the company and will help to elicit new ideas,\n Makice said.\n“In order to make the event as unique as possible, it really warrants developing a group that would not normally work together,” sponsorship director Travis Brown said. “We want to give people a non-traditional, collaborative environment where they can engage socially.”\nAs the sponsorship director, Brown is engaging in or eliciting sponsorships, collecting and managing funds and ensuring the group has the capital in place to cover the event.\nBrown said that though the program has more than 10 primary sponsors, it is still seeking more. Sponsors can contribute $500, $100 or $20. The $20 contributions mostly cover entry fees for participants who need financial aid. Based on the level of contribution, the sponsor will then get an appropriate level of exposure and advertisement. \nThough the group is not set up as a not-for-profit organization, it is not set up to generate revenue either, Brown said.\n“The community is what this is about,” Makice said. “It would be great if the product we get at the end brings jobs to the community.”\nEveryone in the community is encouraged to participate. Motivation is the biggest thing, Makice said, adding that everyone has something to contribute.\nBecause the program is filling up quickly, interested individuals should visit bloomington.startupweekend.com or contact Makice at 812-360-2557.