Teams of budding entrepreneurs will create startup companies in just three days and pitch their concepts to a panel of judges during a whirlwind competition at Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration.
Startup Weekend, hosted by LMU’s Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship, will bring together 150 developers, designers, marketers and product managers focused on launching new companies. From Friday, Nov. 20, through Sunday, Nov. 22, these contestants will form teams around top-rated startup ideas, create and refine their business plans, and present them to judges tasked with selecting the winners.
“Startup Weekend is a great way to foster the entrepreneurial spirit and is a chance for LMU students to learn through experience,” said Mylen Yamamoto, assistant director of the Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship.
Startup Weekend is in its second year at LMU. Last year, two CBA students were among the winners: one developed a tool for sanitizing dish-washing sponges, and the other, an online web configurator for aftermarket auto parts.
This year, one prize is a three-month, all-access pass to the CTRL Collective, the newest creative campus in Silicon Beach.
The payoff isn’t about monetary prizes, however, but exposing participants to a community of business experts who can offer support and advice. The event, sponsored by Google for Entrepreneurs and Up.co, will also feature guest lecturers and coaching sessions from LMU professors, alumni and mentors, along with live music, yoga and a photo booth.
“Last year’s event was a great success and we are looking forward to again meeting and collaborating with students and professionals from the Silicon Beach community,” said Lauren Mabuni, president of LMU’s student-led Entrepreneurship Society.
For more information, visit http://www.up.co/communities/usa/los-angeles/startup-weekend/7466.
