Now in its fourth year, Longmont Startup Week 2018 – comprising a robust schedule of free events, July 23-27 – is set to inspire and invigorate local entrepreneurs, intrepreneurs, investors, and other interested community members.
Now in its fourth year, Longmont Startup Week 2018 – comprising a robust schedule of free events, July 23-27 – is set to inspire and invigorate local entrepreneurs, intrepreneurs, investors, and other interested community members.
Specifically, this year’s theme – “Smarter. Together.” – emphasizes how creators, commerce, capital, and community comprise an entrepreneurial ecosystem for civic innovation.
“Startup Week was born in Boulder as part of a Techstars program to educate and celebrate the entrepreneurial community,” says Darren Elven, President and CEO of Startup Longmont. “Since then, Startup Week has expanded up and down the Front Range and around the world.”
Indeed, more than 75 communities across the globe have hosted a Startup Week. This year’s Longmont programming is especially exciting given a purposeful focus on women entrepreneurs and Latino entrepreneurs in our community.
“Our programming includes six tracks oriented toward critical functional roles within a startup team – founder, product, designer, developer, growth, and capital,” Darren continues. “And this year, embracing inclusivity, we’re offering bilingual events – and shining the spotlight on entrepreneurial women and Latinos in our community, as well as students, young entrepreneurs, tomorrow’s entrepreneurs – and tomorrow’s workforce.”
Adds Darren, “This year, we also offer some ‘reverse sessions’ in which students have the opportunity to ask the audience their questions, and audience members can reply. It’s a way to ideate and innovate, and get students thinking about new ways to solve problems in our community and in our world today – from air quality and water conservation to population growth and density, and resulting noise pollution, transportation issues, and the strain of increased consumption on existing resources as we move from rural areas to urban communities.”
At the same time, Longmont Startup Week 2018 will explore how Longmont itself is positioned to become a Smart City with the use of data and technology to create efficiencies, improve sustainability, create economic development, and enhance quality of life factors for people living and working here.
“We know that industry evolves very fast – but public organizations don’t change as quickly,” explains Darren. “When we talk about smarter cities, then, we talk about how to close those gaps and remove barriers to help communities stay in lockstep with innovation.”
Adds Matt Zwiebel, Director of Pledge 1% Colorado. “Longmont Startup Week reflects how the local startup scene is growing and expanding, not just down to Denver, but within Boulder County.
“It’s especially encouraging to see broader themes of inclusivity and diversity in the workplace this week – a foundational piece toward long term success in any startup community.”
Ready to take the pledge?
Pledge 1% is an easy way to leverage a portion of your future success to support nonprofits in your community. Indeed, the #GiveFirst movement goes well beyond Boulder, and comprises bright minds eager to help those that are new to entrepreneurship, and those who are interested in making a difference where they are.
If you’d like to make the Longmont community a stakeholder and beneficiary of your business success, learn more about Pledge 1% Colorado … and join us! “It’s a small commitment today that can make a huge community impact tomorrow,” concludes Matt.
