Startup Weekend Cebu opens Friday
4:40 AM
Vernon Joseph Go
IT’S all systems go for the much-awaited first-ever Startup Weekend Cebu on May 11-13 at the Conference Room of the University of the Philippines – Cebu (UPC) along Gorordoave.in Lahug, this city.
Startup Weekend Cebu organizers, led by TechTalks.ph, have partnered with innovative organizations -- Globe Telecom, incubator Kickstart Ventures Inc.,Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev), Developers Connect (devCon), Exist/Morphlabs, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) -- to bring this much-anticipated event to Cebu.
In a demonstration of community collaboration, the Startup Weekend Cebu community also received enthusiastic support from the Startup Weekend Manila organizers – web engineering firms ProudCloud and Dynamic Objx, as well as incubator Kickstart Ventures – to build on the lessons learnt from the two previous Startup Weekend Manila events, weaving in specific grassroots Cebu community perspectives.
Startup Weekend -- a 54-hour competition where developers, designers, marketers, technopreneurs, and venture capitalists come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startup businesses – is designed for entrepreneurs interested in receiving feedback for an idea, looking for co-founders, or who want to learn a new skill, especially in the field of mobile and internet applications.
The concept, which started in the US, is now a global movement, taking digital start-up businesses from ideas to investment readiness through intensive mentoring from industry experts and access to markets and investors across Asia.
The Cebu community kicked off their startup momentum with a pre-Startup Weekend Cebu Bootcamp organized together with the Google Technology User Group (GTUG) on May 5, and an online campaign to invite aspiring and first-time technopreneurs, as well as the serial startup veterans, to join what promises to be an energetic and creative weekend at the University of the Philippines Cebu campus.
A total of 200 participants, or approximately 28 teams composed mostly of experienced developers are expected to converge at UPC starting 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, and start their high-energy, high-impact, and high-creativity weekend experience. Registrations are still open at http://cebu.startupweekend.org
Aside from the mentors and judges, also expected to attend the weekend gathering are some investors from Singapore, to whom the participants will be selling their best ideas for a viable product.
Tapped to assist the participants as mentors are Christian Besler, Dan Siazon and Minette Navarrete of Kickstart, Eugene Fabian and Alex Goh of Microsoft Singapore, Albert Padin of SpellDial, PpipCimafranca, Jay Fajardo of ProudCloud, Jonathan Lansangan of Dynamic Objx, finance professional Bryan Low, Chris C. Ducker of VBS, Eric Su of Twidl Inc., Paul Villacorta of Cebu Directories, Gwendolyn Regina Tan, Ruben Licera Jr. of RLComm International, Taylor Miles of webbROI, and Wilson Ng of Ng Khai Development Corp.
Named judges for Startup Weekend Cebu are Kickstart president Minette Navarrete, Alvin Gendrano of Microsoft, Winston Damarillo of Morphlabs, Jean-PatirckBisson of ClickingLabs.com, Harm Rietjens of CareSharing, Vinnie Lauria of Golden Gate Ventures, Jay Aldeguer of The Islands Group, and PhilDev COB DiosdadoBanatao.
Aside from Cebu, Startup Weekends in Naples, Italy and Burgos, Spain are also scheduled on May 11-13.
TechTalks community
Startup Weekend Cebu is made possible through the concerted efforts of TechTalks.ph’s TinaAmper and Mark Abellawith the able support of fellow organizers Dave Overton of Symph, Fleire Castro of Third Team Media, Mark Buenconsejo of CareSharing Inc., Ian Bert Tusil of NextSparks Studios Co., Paola Galan, Miguel Antonio Garcia, Bjorn Bernales of Bjorn iMedia, Vicki Saguin of CIT-U, Pauline Wade of UP, Ryan Hermocilla, and Patrick Villaruz.
TechTalks.ph is an IT grassroots community in Cebu founded by Amper in November 2010. It started with only a dozen people but eventually grew up to over 440 members, including businessmen, developers, and designers, among others.
After running into TechTalks member and Startup Weekend Manila 2011 organizer Jonathan Lansangan in January this year, Amper broached the idea to the online community of bringing Startup Weekend to Cebu. And, of course, the rest was history.
Startup Weekend Cebu is held in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology – ICT Office and is sponsored by Globe Telecom, Kickstart Ventures, devCon, PhilDev, Morphlabs, Exist Global, Microsoft BizSpark, UP Cebu, CeBuinIt, Gist by Blackberry, ThirdTeam Media, Startupr, Symph, CareSharing, TechTalks, Clicking Labs, Ripe Concepts, webbROI, The Islands Group, Epremium Solutions, Nokia Phils., Wavemaker Labs;
NextSparks, Cedf-it, MyCebu.ph, Cebu Directories, Cebu Institute of Technology -University, PinoyBorn, Ching Palace, Lenovo Mobile, Harolds Hotel, The Lean Entrepreneur, Red Carpet Catering Services, Chedz Cakes and Pastries, Chinese Ngohiong, Philippine Spring Water Resources Inc., Shobee Bakeshop, Maverick, AdSense Flippers, Cebu Bloggers Society Inc., Zero Three Two, Everything Cebu, Amazing Cebu Channel 54, Alcordo Advertising, Sun.Star Cebu, Cebu Daily News, The Freeman, and PRWorks.
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