This is a great event aimed at anyone who
- has launched a startup, and is looking for injection of talent & ideas
- has an idea for a startup and is looking to validate it
- is looking for a startup team to collaborate with
- is interested in having an intensive weekend of full-on startup experience
Like other events fo its’ kind (Launch 48, Startup Weekend) the objective is to bring many different teams of people together – entrepreneurs, creative, techies, business dev and others – to try and build a prototype of their project. Starting from Friday, until Sunday night, when they will present to a judging panel that will choose the winners.
DATE: Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd April
LOCATION: Judge Business School, Cambridge
BOOKING: LIMITED EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE
WEB: www.ideatransform.org
Below is the blurb provided by IdeaTransform.
A major new initiative launched today will support entrepreneurs looking to develop technology projects that will make a positive difference to people and society. Created in partnership with the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL), Idea Transform will help those developing innovative ideas turn them into sustainable businesses through a programme that combines events, mentoring and targeted support. It will support ideas in areas as diverse as education, health, finance, community and the environment.
The first event in the Idea Transform programme will take place between 20-22 April 2012 at the Cambridge Judge Business School. It aims to team up people with ideas and those with business, marketing and technical skills to work together intensely over the weekend in order to develop meaningful and innovative projects. Attendees will benefit from a combination of hands-on, experienced mentors and inspiring keynote speakers to provide the perfect environment to learn, advance their ideas and network with like-minded individuals. At the end of the weekend an international judging panel will select those projects that show the most promise and Idea Transform will then work closely with them to provide ongoing mentoring and support.
“From the internet to mobile phones, technology now has the potential to fundamentally benefit billions of people across the world,” said Shailendra Vyakarnam, Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL), Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. “Harnessing this wave of innovation can deliver a meaningful impact in so many areas – but too many great ideas are simply falling by the wayside due to a lack of early stage support. That’s why CfEL is backing Idea Transform, as it promises to empower exciting projects that will make a real difference to people and society.”
Idea Transform has been created by Mauro Ciaccio, Chris Measures and Jeremy Parsons, who between them have over 50 years of experience in supporting startup and early stage projects through events, business development and marketing knowledge. It is backed by a high profile advisory board, which numbers investor Peter Cowley, entrepreneur Allan MacLean and business adviser Chris Lamaison amongst its members.
“Creating any startup is an arduous and difficult process that needs a huge amount of support if it is to succeed,” said Chris Measures, co-founder, Idea Transform. “We can see the potential innovative new ideas have to benefit us all, so we wanted to provide the support entrepreneurs need to develop and grow, across the entire early stage lifecycle, through both intensive events and ongoing mentoring.”