If you are interested in entrepreneurship the answer is YES! Whether you are a serial entrepreneur or new to the startup scene, you’ll fit right in as long as you are motivated to build a product or startup and are open to new ideas.

The event is intended to be a collaborative and inclusive forum for sharing, learning, building, and having fun. We expect each member of the startup community to be inclusive of all people and their ideas at Techstars Startup Weekend and we welcome all, regardless of experience, industry or background.

All participates are expected to participate in all three days. This is important not only to preserve your own learning experience, but also to minimize distractions or disruptions for the team you choose to join. 

On Day 3, each team will take the stage to share their final pitch presentations. We welcome any friends, family or colleagues you would like to invite to watch and see all you have accomplished in just one weekend.

Everyone who attends the event as a participant is expected to come to the event without a team and then join and participate with a team at the event. This is important to preserve the Techstars Startup Weekend educational experience. The ideal team consists of members from diverse backgrounds and experiences who collaborate to build a great minimum viable product (MVP) using the Lean Canvas framework. The more people you have on your team to help you do market research and business model development, the quicker you’ll develop an MVP to pitch on Day 3.

• Laptop/Portable Computer
• Power cord for Laptop
• Notepad and pen
• Business cards (or a business card app)
• Your phone - feel free to take pictures or video of the event and tag @PlatformCalgary in your posts so we can reshare!
• Lots of energy!
• ‍Optional: A second monitor, keyboard, etc…. Whatever helps you to be most productive

An idea is not required to participate!

If you want to pitch an idea, keep an eye out for the form link in the confirmation email once you register on Showpass.

You can pitch an idea you've been thinking about for years, or something you just came up with. Please don’t pitch an idea that you’ve already been developing or have been working on outside of Techstars Startup Weekend. The point of the event is to learn how to go from ideation to product. Pitching provides invaluable practice for public speaking!

A key part of every Techstars Startup Weekend is the valuable advice and assistance provided by the event’s speakers and coaches. In addition to the most valuable resources at the weekend (the people), you'll receive a list of some useful resources and tools for before, during, and after the weekend.