First Annual BrainCoral Labs Curaçao Startup Bootcamp
Local Companies Impress Silicon Valley Experts Two inspired local female entrepreneurs with a burning desire to give a push to Curaçao’s tech entrepreneurs with global aspirations, seized the opportunity to bring Silicon Valley knowledge, expertise and skills within their reach. They joined forces to host Curaçao’s first Startup Bootcamp. Gyselle Meulens of scaleFWD, and Natasha Chatlein of BrainCoral Labs, brought Steve Hoffman and Naomi Kokubo, co-founders of San Francisco’s number one incubator and accelerator for global startups, Founders Space, to share their knowledge with our local tech innovative companies. TEXT BY FARAH DIBAH AYOUBI
A total of eight companies participated in this weeklong, intensive Startup Bootcamp, which was rounded off with a Demo Night, wherein each of the contestants pitched their
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CURAÇAO BUSINESS
tech startup idea to a sold-out room of fans, sponsors, supporting companies, financial and technology companies, the jury and many curious entrepreneurs. The public, inspired by
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Steve Hoffman’s dynamic keynote address, voted for their favorite tech startup, and also got a behind-the-scenes look into the experiences of one of our own ‘YdK’ (locals) living abroad, Cival van der Lubbe, who was running his now defunct startup, KANOA, in San Francisco, California. The bootcampers were submerged in a week of intense scrutiny of their own company, along with their plans and ideas, forcing them to take a hard and honest look at their startup plans in a way that helped them prepare themselves for the future. Chatlein notes, “It’s so easy to get caught up in a tailspin and feel like you’re running in circles, especially when there isn’t an army of mentors, advisors, or other successful startups at your disposal, to give you valuable insights
