Major Speakers Highlight Riverside’s First Techstars Startup Week Sept. 25-29
Published: 09/11/2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sept. 11, 2017
Contact:
Phil Pitchford
Communications Officer
Steve Massa
Riverside Startup Week Organizer
Major Speakers Highlight Riverside’s First Techstars Startup Week Sept. 25-29
Free event connects Inland Southern California entrepreneur community to learn, share and network
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Riverside’s first Techstars Startup Week Sept. 25-29 will give entrepreneurs from across Inland Southern California a no-cost opportunity to learn from CEOs, inventors and investors who have started or provided early investment in innovative and pioneering companies like Bourns, ESRI, Airbnb, Uber, SendGrid and iRobot.
The inaugural Riverside Startup Week in downtown Riverside is a free, five-day celebration of local entrepreneurship through keynote speakers, demonstrations, mentoring and networking opportunities. The event is a great fit for business leaders, investors, app developers and designers, as well as entrepreneurs and other business people who want to start a company.
“Startup Week is a testament to the business growth and excitement generated by our entrepreneurial ecosystem in Riverside,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said. “If you believe in the entrepreneurial spirit, Startup Week in Riverside is the place for you.”
Speakers at the event include:
- Jack Dangermond, Chairman and CEO of ESRI, the mapping software company in Redlands
- Jason Calacanis, Author and early stage investor in companies such as Airbnb and Uber
- Scott Miller, Inventor of the Roomba and founder of iRobot and Dragon Innovation
- Gordon Bourns, Chairman and CEO of Bourns, Inc. in Riverside
Riverside Start-up Week is free to attend but registration is required at: http://riverside.startupweek.co. Sign up for sessions early, because many of the venues have limited seating.
“Launching our first Startup Week is a huge step to promoting our region as a destination for startup activity,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jim Perry. “I’m excited to see the ideas and future businesses that eventually matriculate from such an effort.”
Startup Week is designed to further grow and nurture entrepreneurship in Inland Southern California, which is part of the Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario metropolitan statistical area that ranked #13 on Kauffman’s Startup Activity Index in 2017, a strong increase from the area’s #18 spot in 2016.
Entrepreneur Magazine recognized Riverside as a top city for minority entrepreneurs -- https://www.entrepreneur.com/amphtml/296473. The area is experiencing large increases in startup activity ranging from a new investment fund from UCR called the Highlander Fund to numerous startups working in high-growth technology areas, including blockchain, GIS, IoT, cleantech, and logistics.
Startup Week is one of several programs offered by the startup accelerator organization Techstars, which helps entrepreneurs find markets, mentors and investors. Riverside Startup Week joins more than 600 other Startup Weeks across the globe to help galvanize our local startup ecosystem so entrepreneurs can connect, share experiences and strengthen our economy to accelerate innovation.
“This regional event will allow all Inland Southern California entrepreneurs to come together and learn how to pitch to investors, build an MVP (minimal viable product), monetize their apps, and source new team members for their startup,” said Steve Massa, Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Riverside and one of the organizers of the event. “The ecosystem we are building fosters mentorship and increases investment opportunities for entrepreneurs who are committed to building and scaling businesses in our region.”
