Startup Week Fort Wayne to kick off next week

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – Startup Week Fort Wayne kicks off Monday. The free five-day event is open to the public and features 24 presentations and workshops at various locations in and around downtown.

Startup Week Fort Wayne aims to celebrate the growth of the city’s entrepreneur and startup communities while offering mentorship and networking opportunities.

The event is in partnership with Techstars, a worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. A group of local entrepreneur support organizations are leading the second annual Startup Week Fort Wayne to provide resources, information, ideas and connections to new and scaling business owners.

Dave Sanders of Start Fort Wayne is leading the volunteer group this year.

“Our first Startup Week in 2018 was to test the waters to see if a demand for a conference like this was viable. We learned quickly that there is a tremendous need by business builders for information, resources and connections. This year’s conference is filled with distinctive and engaging programs to help meet that need,” he said. “I’m excited to hear our speakers and to see how the community grows between now and Startup Week 2020. Business owners regardless of the stage of their company can benefit by attending at least one session.”

Startup Fort Wayne speakers are coming from Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and even California. 

A total of 24 events are planned for Startup Week. Daily workshops and focused events are anticipated to attract 12 to 150 individuals each.

Events include the inaugural Exalt Awards for Women in Business hosted by Own Your Success; the Commercialization Engine workshop led by the IDEA Center of the University of Notre Dame; Barrett McNagny is leading a “Startup 101; the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center is hosting a panel discussion on the unique hurdles facing women who build a business; and Ambassador is presenting “Infusing Technology into Minority Businesses.”

Th event is entirely volunteer-run and made possible by several partners.

Startup Week Partner organizations include:

• 3R Interactive
• 212 by Artlink
• AgriNovus Indiana
• Barrett McNagny
• City of Fort Wayne
• Electric Works
• Fortitude Fund
• Founders Spark
• Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
• Indiana University Ventures
• University of Notre Dame IDEA Center
• OCEAN Northeast Indiana
• Own Your Success
• Purdue University Fort Wayne
• SCORE
• SEED Fort Wayne
• STRE.ME Strategy Services
• Start Fort Wayne
• Techstars
• The NIIC’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center (WEOC)
• Yellow Summit

To view the full schedule of events click here.