Second ‘Startup Weekend’ planned

FALL RIVER – A “Startup Weekend” will be held Nov. 13-15 at the new Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The event, for student innovators and entrepreneurs, is being hosted by the University of Massachusetts Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and students from all colleges are invited to attend.
According to information from the university, these weekends, which are powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, let entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs know if they have a viable business idea. Approximately half of those who attend have technical or design backgrounds, while the other half hail from business backgrounds.
Last year, the first place team was recognized for its digital dice project, called “Infinity Qube,” intended to replace multiple dice used in games. The second place team was “Friend in Need,” which designed an app to allow students to connect with peers looking for services such as babysitting, driving or cleaning. The third place team, “Galaxy Inn,” designed a travel app connecting travelers with families in other countries willing to provide housing and culture immersion services.
Open mic pitches will start off the event on Friday, and may inspire others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday, teams focus on customer development and product building.
On Sunday night, teams demonstrate their prototypes, receiving feedback from an industry expert panel.
The CIE relaunched last month to expand its outreach to southeastern Massachusetts entrepreneurs, including those at UMass Dartmouth. Over the next three years, CIE plans to incubate 25 companies on-site, with another 30 off-site. The CIE wants to graduate 10 companies, create 150 high-wage jobs and generate $24 million of economic activity for the region, information from the university stated.

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