FIRST FRIDAY
UBJ ENTREPRENEURS
LEADERSHIP SERIES PRESENTS
ANITA ZUCKER CEO, Hudson’s Bay Company
Dreaming and hustling at Startup Weekend EMILY PRICE | DIGITAL STRATEGIST
eprice@communityjournals.com
NOVEMBER 7
Pro Alert – an information plat-
Presentation begins at 5:00 PM
1 North Main Street 5th Floor Attending First Friday is free, but space is limited! register at www.FirstFridayZucker.eventbrite.com
Tax Map # B001000100200 Tax Map # 0238010100200
178 Industrial/Residential Acres For Sale Frady Road & Bramlett Road, Greenville, SC Avison Young is pleased to present the Frady and Bramlett Road parcels in Greenville, SC. Parcels are zoned S-1 providing great flexibility to a industrial or residential buyer. Sewer, 3-phase power, water and rail access are on site. The location is convenient to shopping and Highways 123, 124, 153 and 25. Please call Rob Howell for more information.
Rob Howell, MBA Investment Services rob.howell@avisonyoung.com
Partnership. Performance.
864.334.4145 10
South Carolina, USA, Avison Young Offices are Independently Owned and Operated by WRS Real Estate, LLC.
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
October 24, 2014
form aimed at helping first responders save time in emergencies – won first place at Greenville’s first Startup Weekend, a high-energy competition that challenged teams to build a business from the ground up in 54 hours. Second-place winner Pecan Exchange connects pecan growers and retailers to negotiate a fairer price. Third-place winner Prospect provides Craigslist sellers a platform to better manage their posts and keep track of potential buyers. The Greenville competition – the second in the Upstate – is an educational model powered by Google for Entrepreneurs and replicated in more than 200 cities around the world. The idea originated in Seattle with a group of entrepreneurs who launched a nonprofit to bring people together for weekend-long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams, and start companies. As a member of Greenville’s organizing team, here are a few takeaways I learned:
1. HOW WE CONCEIVE SCHOOL IS RAPIDLY CHANGING, AND THAT’S A GOOD THING. Startup Weekend is a learning model that’s widely embraced, adheres to a structure and is replicable. And it’s institutionalized, just not in the traditional sense of the academy/university. Instead it’s directly tied to industry, supported by a reputable business organization (Google). SW Greenville’s 60 participants formed nine teams and developed nine business models – aided by numerous coaches and mentors who have all experienced success in their various industries. People spent the weekend teaching each other by working together. Lots of conversation between folks owning
varying skill sets and from multiple sectors. All this led to tons of not just new contacts, but new ideas and new skills. Obviously, there’s a place for new educational models that don’t adhere to the “school” structure – and this is happening right in our backyard.
2. “CODING IS GOOD FOR YOU(TH).” It’s no secret that South Carolina’s education system has a pretty poor national reputation. But while it’s not inherent to our identity quite yet, the Upstate is a hotbed for innovative, adaptable methods of learning >>
STARTUP WEEKEND TEAMS ProAlert – 1st place A GPS-embedded app for first responders that makes protocols more accessible Pecan Exchange – 2nd place A tool to connect pecan farmers and their product to small business retailers Prospect – 3rd place An app that makes the Craigslist experience more efficient and organized for sellers and buyers and protects privacy No Drop Software that helps nonprofits monitor their mentor/mentee relationships and track outcomes Resume Bullet A Web-based tool that handles resume customization and connects job-seekers with relevant employers and opportunities Trailblazr A community-focused fitness app for runners and cyclists to track routes and compete with friends Tandem A social tool for location-based language learning Small Business Startup Kits Tools that help small businesses create a searchable digital presence Savvy Box A family subscription service providing monthly project kits that introduce children to technology