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Event Ended

Ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

The professional and personal challenges, the high and lows, the failures and the success?

Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world in 2011.

The non-profit organization is headquartered in Seattle, Washington but Startup Weekend organizers and facilitators can be found in over 200 cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa to London to Brazil, people around the globe are coming together for weekend long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams, and start companies.

All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams organically form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and then it’s a 54 hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback.

Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of an entrepreneur, register now for the best weekend of your life!

Schedule

Friday

Apr 12
  • Inspiration session at CareWare
  • Registration starts for the participants directly coming at VIA
  • StartUp bus from CareWare to VIA for the participants at the conference (registration for SWAAR will be completed in the bus)
  • Intro to the event / Icebreaker
  • Dinner & Networking
  • Warm up for pitching
  • Pitches start
  • Attendees vote for the top ideas
  • Teams start forming and discussing ideas
  • Start to formalize teams and take an inventory of skills. Be honest, and direct about what resources and skills are needed for the weekend. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow

Saturday

Apr 13
  • Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • Teams formed and setting up workspace for the weekend
  • Lunch
  • Call for needs & skills
  • Coaches help teams one-on-one. They are here to help!
  • Dinner
  • Mid weekend check-in, status reports, call for help
  • Finished for the day. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow

Sunday

Apr 14
  • Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • Call for help (this is self motivated, so don’t be shy)
  • Lunch
  • Coaches arrive… ASK QUESTIONS
  • Gut check. Start prepping for presentations
  • Dinner
  • FINAL PRESENTATIONS
  • Judging & awards
  • Wrapup
  • Go home! Revive powers and reflect upon the awesome experience!
Main Sponsors
Moderator

Nick Stevens

Entrepreneur and Startup Weekender

British expat living in The Netherlands. Kite flying entrepreneur, business director, Startup Weekender, Mac lover, and part time coffee snob.

Main Partners
Judges

Kim Kjølhede

Investment Manager at Østjysk Innovation, serving in the board at 10 startup companies

Experienced leader and business developer with exceptional skills in understanding and communicating value propositions of new technology in ICT, industry and clean tech.

With entrepreneurial experience already as a student at University of Aarhus, School of Business, where Kim graduated as M.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration, the past 20 years have focused mainly on how companies and people could optimize value from deployment of innovative new technology. This has given Kim the opportunity to work at specialist level, as manager and as CEO in various companies ranging from SMEs to corporates and entrepreneurial startups spun out of corporate organizations. At Østjysk Innovation the constant challenge is to identify and finance innovative startups and afterwards helping them grow through qualified support at board level.

Anette Nørgaard

NextGen AMM (Bizspark & Dreamspark Champ)   |  LinkedIn

Anette Nørgaard has 20+ years of experience with IT, and is currently a ISV Developer Evangelist & Bizspark Champ at Microsoft Danmark. Anette is a former co-founder at Capernow Projects, president at IAMCP, Denmark and Director of Business Development at Miracle A/S

Hans Halvorsen

Rådmand for Sociale Forhold og Beskæftigelse i Aarhus Kommune

Hans er også medlem af byrådet for Socialdemokraterne siden 2002. Genvalgt ved valget 17. november 2009. Hans er udlært maskinarbejder og har været fagligt aktiv siden 1973. I fritiden entusiastisk ejer og kører af Nimbus (årgang 1954).

Inger-Margrethe Jensen

Cand. cur. Uddannelseschef & Campuskoordinator, VIA University College

Media Partners
Coaches

Otto Bjerg Hausgaard

Business Analyst at Østjysk Innovation   |  LinkedIn

Otto has a broad experience from various startup companies. Having worked more than 8 years with business development in venture financed companies from both IT and Life Science sectors, Otto now work for the Seed Investor Østjysk Innovation. At Østjysk Innovation the tasks are screening and assessing the business opportunities that are presented in Business Plans and in live presentations. Furthermore Otto is responsible for a local Business Angel Network consisting of 30 investing angles from the East Jutland area. The tasks for the network is to prepare the companies through pitch training and shaping of proposal to match criteria of Business Angels. Otto holds a masters degree in economics and Law from Aarhus School of Business.

Lars Svane Hansen

Project Manager ved MedTech Innovationcenter

Lars er uddannet medicoingeniør og har en HD i Afsætningsøkonomi. Lars' spidskompetencer er indenfor forretningsudvikling og international afsætning af medicoteknisk udstyr. Lars' mangeårige praktiske erfaring fra medtech industrien er suppleret med flere udstationeringer i USA, Singapore og Sydamerika.

Louise Kofoed Koppel

Working at Aarhus Manicipality

Louise is working in the Welfare Technology unit at Aarhus Municipality. She spends her days implementing new technology in everyday life. Louise has a lot of experience from practice.

Jens Raabjerg Olesen

European Patent Attorney and Certified Danish Patent Agent at Høiberg A/S

Jens advises clients about all aspect of the protection of intellectual rights, which includes patentability analyses, drafting of patent applications, patent infringement assessments, as well as freedom-to-operate analyses, due diligence and patent landscape analyses. Jens also advices about trademark and design protection. Jens specializes in the protection of IPR in the fields of life science, in particular molecular biology, biochemistry and medico technology.

Erik Løvgren Brejner

Head of VIA University Colleges, Strategy in Entrepreneurship

Master in Strategy, Organization and Leadership from Aarhus School of Business. Executive course in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from University of Southern Denmark and Design thinking form Central St. Martins.

Organizers
Arne Vesterdal
Hans Møller
Jesper Weltz
Astrid Høegh Tyrsted
Sussi Bianco
Yana Vlatchkova
Søren Vinther Andersen
Nils Kähler
David Andersen
Helena Thorsen
Tom Quast
Peter Rasmussen
Line Foldsgaard Petersen
Birgitte Woge Nielsen
Henrik Jeppesen
Marie Ernst Christensen
Photos
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