Blog

  1. November’s 48 Hour Launch Wednesday, October 26, 2011

    This November’s 48 Hour Launch provides a platform for building collaboration among Chattanooga’s entrepreneurs, creatives, specialists, and business minded people to join together in teams and accomplish something awesome together over a weekend.
    There will be three different types of teams representing:

    technology based ideas
    product based ideas
    social innovations

    Over $30,000 of prizes will be awarded to winners in these three tracks, with each prize package including valuable business services from local supporters of innovation. In addition, up to three business ideas will be admitted into the SpringBoard Accelerator Program ($1500 value each). This will be awarded to the top three ideas selected by a panel of qualified business leaders and social entrepreneurs.

    Chattanooga Stand and Causeway are sponsoring the Social Innovation track. Causeway.org, a new platform to support civic entrepreneurism, will provide a process for you to find causes that you care about, and work with others to make a way for these causes to be implemented.
    Social Innovation refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet social needs of all kinds. 48 Hour Launch weekend offers participants an opportunity to collaborate with passionate and committed people to develop better ways of functioning as a society, big or small, and tackle some of the main challenges we face in our community.

    WHO?

    Anyone. Your idea doesn’t have to reflect your day job or be a dev nerd to pitch it.
    48 Hour Launch gathers designers, social entrepreneurs, web developers, creatives, marketing minds, and business professionals to work on potential start-ups.

    Two ways to get involved:
    Pitch an idea and form a group.
    No Idea? Join a team and share your skills!

    WHEN?

    Pitch Night-
    November 3rd, 6PM at the CO.LAB.
    Pitch your idea early and build a team.

    48Hour Launch Weekend-
    November 11-13th, 6PM - 6PM
    1517 Mitchell Avenue (The Old YMCA Building near Main St.)

    Demo Night-
    November 13th- 6PM ($5 at the door for the public)
    Food, coffee, and beer will be provided through the weekend, your registration fee helps us to cover those costs.

    HOW IT WORKS:

    Call for Ideas

    Ideas are always more powerful when shared. Your idea can be either a specific solution to a problem, or simply identify a need in a particular area. Either way, an idea that will create new models for solving social problems. We are looking for ideas they may become a stand-along venture (spare time gig), help a pre-existing non profit or governmental organization, or become a social enterprise, charity, or other business.
    In the Meantime

    To get started: log on to causeway.org and create a profile. Next, post your cause that can be launched in 48 hours. Please make sure to check the 48Hour Launch category when submitting your cause. Once your “cause” is approved, you can begin rallying support around your cause and gathering the resources and volunteers you’ll need during the 48Hour Launch weekend.

    -Createhere is hosting OPEN FRIDAYS. Come by on Fridays leading up to November 11th for feedback and idea development.

    HOW YOU WIN?

    The weekend ends with Demo Night on Sunday, November 13th at 6PM. We invite the community at large and a panel of judges, $5 at the door.

    The public vote and panel of judges will choose the idea that is most likely to get off the ground, as well as the potential to scale-up or replicate the idea. The social innovation project chosen by the crowd’s vote will be awarded a package of relevant business services and $2,500 seed funding will be chosen by a panel of judges.

    Please e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you have any questions, or drop by on a Friday. We are looking forward to seeing you on November 3rd.

    Posted by Dave Walker in Economy