Denver Startup Week Returns for Fifth Year

Check out the recent Connect and Collaborate podcast about Denver Startup Week

DENVER (Sept. 7, 2015) – Denver Startup Week, the largest free entrepreneurial event of its kind in North America, returns to Downtown Denver for a fifth year from Sept. 12 through 16.

Denver Startup Week, created to celebrate and grow a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Denver, will feature more than 250 programs geared toward the entire entrepreneurial community. Events span networking sessions, mentor hours, workshops, leadership spotlights and panel presentations that collectively are expected to attract more than 10,000 people looking to start or grow their business in Denver. Denver Startup Week is sponsored by Chase for Business, Comcast, the Downtown Denver Partnership and more than 40 other organizations.

The week will begin with a Kick-off Breakfast on Monday, Sept. 12 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Seawell Ballroom, which will showcase successful startup stories including:
·        Keynote Speaker: Ryan Wood, founder of Sweetwood Cattle Company and co-founder of Under Armour

·        Denver Startup Community Speakers: Eddie Kim, co-founder and CTO of Gusto; Lee Mayer, co-founder and CEO Havenly; Chris Terill, CEO of HomeAdvisor

Denver’s reputation as one of the best places to start and grow a business has once again attracted notable speakers and founders including Bryan Leach, CEO of Ibotta, Joshua Reeves, CEO and Co-Founder of Gusto, Dan Caruso, CEO and Chairman of Zayo Group, Mel Robbins, a well-known and inspirational TEDx Talk speaker, and more.

Organized by the Denver Startup Week Organizing Committee and co-led by Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership, Erik Mitisek, executive director of Project X-ITE at the University of Denver, and Ben Deda, chief operating officer at Galvanize, Denver Startup Week is focused on highlighting Denver as an entrepreneurial center on the local, regional and national stage, while enhancing community and providing resources for the startup community.

Highlights of the more than 250 events include:

A focus on diversity:
From how entrepreneurship can be infused into curriculum and a spotlight on some of our community’s youngest entrepreneurs, to the powerful role veterans and women play in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Denver Startup Week programs showcase the diverse faces and industries of startup businesses in Denver including:
·        A Bigger Tent: Women in Colorado’s Tech Scene, Monday, 9/12 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

·        Successful Young Entrepreneurs: How to be one, How to raise one, Monday, 9/12 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

·        Women in Tech: Stories from the Front Lines, Tuesday, 9/13 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.

·        Innovative Education, Wednesday, 9/14 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

·        Veterans are for Startups, Thursday, 9/15 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

·        Denver: The Best Place in America for Veterans Transitioning Into Tech & Startups, Thursday, 9/15 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

·        Periods, Airbags and Artificial Hearts, Thursday, 9/15 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Can’t miss Headline Events including:

·        Women Who Startup Summit, Tuesday, 9/13 from 6 to 10 p.m.

·        DISH Present’s HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley’ in Denver: The Intersection of TV and Tech Startups, Wednesday, 9/14 from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

·        Startup Week Job Fair, Wednesday, 9/14 from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

·        Closing Bash, Featuring Denver Startup Week Pitch Challenge Finals, Thursday, 9/16 from

A sampling from Denver Startup Week’s Six Programming Tracks featuring:

·        Both Sides of the Funding Table (Designer Track), Monday, 9/12 from 3 to 5 p.m., featuring Top Chef Winner Chef Hosea Rosenberg and followed by the Colorado Small Business Development Center Trout Tank Pitch Competition

·        Art, Culture and the Startup City featuring Meow Wolf (Designer Track), Tuesday, 9/13 from 10 to 12 p.m., highlighting how art, culture and design help attract top talent to cities

·        Cage Match! Man vs. Machine in Content Marketing (Growth Track), Tuesday, 9/13 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., who will emerge the winner in social media content creation?

·        Energy, Clean Tech, and a Secure Energy Future in the US & Israel (Growth Track), Wednesday, 9/14 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on how companies in Colorado and Israel are at the forefront of a secure energy future

·        So You Want to Be Acquired – Stories from Two Recent Tech Buy-Outs (Founder Track), Wednesday, 9/14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. featuring Rally Software and Ping Identity

·        Angel Speed Dating (Founder Track), Wednesday, 9/14 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., with a chance to sit for 3-5 minutes with an angel investor

·        CTO Panel: Choose your Stack Wisely (Developer Track), Wednesday, 9/14 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., featuring CTOs from Digabit, Inc., Four Winds Interactive and Alchemy IoT

·        Cybersecurity for startups: What you need to know and do to ensure your success (Developer Track), Tuesday, 9/13 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., featuring local startups Protectwise and Red Canary

·        The Exciting Realm of Pet-focused Startups (Maker Track), Tuesday, 9/13 from 8 to 9:30 a.m.

·        Exposure Doesn’t Pay the Bills: An Art Lesson (Maker Track), Monday, 9/12 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on why dialogue around doing art “for exposure” should change

·        We Launch Products That Are Too Complicated (Product Track), Monday, 9/12 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on how to keep your product simple

·        Patents 101 (Product Track), Wednesday, 9/14 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. with advice from Rocky Mountain Patent

In addition, significant funding resources will be awarded at several pitching and business plan competitions including the inaugural Denver Startup Week Pitch Challenge, which will yield 8 finalists from more than 100 applicants to pitch for the championship on Thursday, Sept. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Galvanize Platte Street.
 
Back by popular demand, Basecamp launched by Chase for Business returns as the hub and epicenter of Denver Startup Week. Basecamp, located on the first floor of 1515 Arapahoe Street (16th and Arapahoe Streets), will feature an exciting line-up of entrepreneurs and innovators through keynote speakers, panels and mentoring sessions throughout the week. See the complete schedule at www.denverstartupweek.com/basecamp.

Highlights of Basecamp’s free programming include:
·        Inspirational Programs and Leadership Sessions: Inspiring conversations and panel discussions with some of the leading minds from the startup community and spanning a wide-range of topics. Programs occur every hour on the hour throughout the week. 

·        Mentor, Biz Dev and Financial Fitness Sessions: One-on-one sessions perfect for entrepreneurs looking for feedback, advice, mentorship or an opportunity to pitch a new partnership.

·        Inaugural Maker’s Wall: Constructed by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the inaugural Maker’s Wall will showcase products from Colorado’s diverse maker community including Revolar, Topo Designs, Icelantic Skis, Novo Coffee and more.

·        Food Forward Showcase: Shining a spotlight on Denver’s booming food and beverage startup scene, the Food Forward Showcase features an esteemed list of food and beverage industry innovators on Monday, 9/12 from 4 to 6 p.m.

All Denver Startup Week events take place at locations throughout Downtown Denver.
Media headquarters, including credential distribution and space for writing, charging and interviews, will be available at Basecamp. Media credentials will be distributed at the Kick-off Breakfast and also at Basecamp Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Media interested in covering Denver Startup Week should contact Brea Olson at [email protected].

Stay connected to Denver Startup Week at www.DenverStartupWeek.org, by following @DENStartupWeek and @BasecampLiveDEN on Twitter, by liking the DSW Facebook page and following us on Instagram.

About Denver Startup Week: 
Denver Startup Week, founded in 2012, is a celebration of everything entrepreneurial in Denver. The weeklong event is intended to unite the entrepreneurial community in Denver and celebrate the great companies, innovation and ideas happening in the city and the people and inspiration behind them.  The core programming is centered on the entrepreneurial community with an emphasis in technology, design, social entrepreneurship, manufacturing and business.  

Events throughout the week are organized by both the Denver Startup Week Organizing Committee and the community at-large and include sessions, presentations, panels, workshops, happy hours, social events, job fairs and more.  Denver Startup Week is sponsored by the Downtown Denver Partnership, Comcast, Chase for Business and several community sponsors and Denver entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.DenverStartupWeek.org

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Brea Olson, @DENStartupWeek, 303.775.4712
[email protected]