Startup Bootcamp
Looking to Start a Successful Side Hustle or Business?
Then join us for an immersive learning weekend held IN PERSON at Bow Valley College AND online via ZOOM.
Participants get:
Free access to an online customer interview simulation
Complimentary startup resources, including books and tools for all participants
Networking with Alberta’s promising entrepreneurs and industry experts
Tickets start at just $10, and there are discount codes for students and school faculty/staff.
You can purchase tickets to individual sessions or the whole weekend. Come for some of it or stay for all.
Participants are put on teams led by some of Alberta's most promising first-time entrepreneurs, learn how to validate promising business ideas, and compete in a Crowd-Favourite Pitch Competition.
Ticket proceeds go towards the Crowd-Favourite Pitch Competition held on a Sunday morning.
NOTE: Only sessions with a Z** next to them are available online/virtually via Zoom
In-person participants take home:
A free copy of Testing Business Ideas by Alexander Osterwalder and David Bland
Student participants receive:
A free copy of Founded by Mike Raab and Melissa Kaufman
All participants receive:
Free access to VentureBlocks, the online simulation tool that teaches how to interview customers and identify needs.
Participants will learn how to:
Avoid the ten biggest mistakes many entrepreneurs make
Identify the best customers and when to reach them
Overcome the 'Innovators Bias' that kills many businesses
Create almost instant interest in a new product or service
Identify what investors are looking for and what it takes to get a new business idea funded.
TICKETS
All funds generated from ticket sales are awarded to the winners of the Crowd Favourite Pitch Competition, which will be held on Sunday morning.
Tickets start at just $10, and the following codes can be used to get a discount - PLEASE BE HONEST and only use a discount code if it actually applies to you.
PSS - Post-Secondary School Students or Recent Alumni: $10 off
SFS - School Faculty or Staff: $10 off
HS-STUDENT - High School Students: $20 off
Members of equity-seeking groups can call or text Craig Elias (+1.403.874.2998) to receive a discount code to participate fully at no charge.
LOCATION
The in-person sessions on Friday night, Saturday morning and Sunday morning sessions happen in room S2009 on the second floor of the south campus of Bow Valley College, and you enter via the main doors on the C-Train tracks.
Once inside, head up the main stairs to the second floor, and we'll be in the room behind the two sets of double doors immediately on your left when you come up the stairs.
The Saturday night sessions happen in the conference room on the top floor of the SAIT residence tower.
All those attending online should receive an email 60 minutes and 5 minutes prior to our start time with a personalized link to join a Zoom session.
SCHEDULE
Friday Night
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Meet & greet, team building, Top 10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make presentation Z**
8:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Playing Lean game sessions
Saturday
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM - 60-Second Leaner Canvas Pitches Z**
9:00 AM to 12:30 AM - Workshop Sessions Z**
12:30 PM to 5:00 PM - Teamwork | Q & A
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM - Check-in & mentor feedback
6:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Teamwork
Sunday Morning
8:30 AM to 9:30 AM - Getting Funded presentation Z**
9:45 AM to 12:00 PM - Crowd Favourite Pitch Competition Z** and mentor feedback Z**
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
Friday
THE TOP 10 MISTAKES ENTREPRENEURS MAKE Z**
As the founder of China’s massive Alibaba (Jack Ma) says, “You learn nothing by learning what successful entrepreneurs did well. You learn more by learning and avoiding the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make.” This session will share the Top 10 mistakes entrepreneurs make.
PLAYING LEAN
During the session, participants learn how to avoid the common pitfalls and mistakes of starting a company without risking their bank account, their ego, or their reputation.
Playing Lean helps participants:
Learn and practice lean startup skills
Feel the highs and lows of entrepreneurship
Learn the truth about commonly-held startup myths
Discover how to improve a startup's odds of success
Understand and develop the mindset of an entrepreneur
Experience the challenges and trade-offs of starting a company
Saturday Morning
VENTUREBLOCKS INTRODUCTION
A 15-minute introduction to the Customer Interview simulation software that teaches participants how to interview customers and identify needs.
STARTING YOUR FIRST SIDE HUSTLE OR BUSINESS
Did you know that starting a full-time business as a side hustle first increases your likelihood of success by up to 27%?
Do you want to:
Monetize a hobby
Offer freelance services
Launch a software company
If so, join us as aspiring, early-stage, and first-time business owners learn:
The key differences between a side hustle and a full-time business
How to take the first step towards building either one
How to convert a side hustle into a growable (aka scalable full-time business.
This session is part of the Startup Bookcamp hosted by Bow Vallery College and facilitated by some of Alberta’s best Startup Experts: Brandy Old, Jill Langer, Mina ???, Wendy Muise and myself.
Tickets start at just $10, and you can purchase individual tickets for different parts of the bootcamp or for the whole weekend – Friday, May 10th @ 6:00 p.m. to Sunday, May 12th @ 12:30 p.m.
NAILING THE PROBLEM Z**
Having a promising idea for a product or service is not a guarantee of success. 42% of startups and early-stage businesses fail because not enough people want what is being sold. This session will help you avoid being part of that statistic by helping participants identify a problem people will gladly pay to have solved.
IDENTIFYING YOUR IDEAL CLIENT Z**
Now you know a problem you can solve, you need to determine who is the user is and who the ideal client – they are not the same thing - and reach ideal clients when they are most likely to become your customers.
CREATING A COMPELLING VALUE PROPOSITION Z**
Now that you have identified the problem you are solving and a client who will pay, you need to create a compelling value proposition that creates instant interest in what you do. Something that gets people to ask, “How do you do that?”
Sunday
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FOR NEWBIES AND TECHIES Z**
Bring your laptop to this session because, during this highly interactive session, you'll get access to the latest version of the free financial analysis spreadsheet that has been downloaded over 5,000 times. In as little as 20 minutes, you can create a full three-year financial analysis of your business idea (Cash flow statement, Income statement, balance sheets, and Key Performance Indicator analysis).
FACILITATORS
The winner of a Global Billion Dollar Idea Competition, who was also the CEO of a company twice chosen by Dow Jones as one of the 50 most promising startups in North America.
A co-founder and advisor to multiple Canadian StartUps that have grown to tens of millions of dollars in revenue - one of them currently has revenue of over $100 Million and is still growing!
One of Alberta's most knowledgeable Lean Canvas facilitators who created a student accelerator based on Ash Maurya's Lean Canvas model.
A visual thinker who helps entrepreneurs tap into their creativity so they and their customers ‘see’ the full potential of their idea.
...
This is the kick-off weekend for the summer skills development program, part of a province-wide entrepreneurship initiative called 150 Startups.
During the summer skills development program, some of Alberta's most promising first-time entrepreneurs are provided cash to improve their business ideas while preparing for an Alberta-wide pitch competition held during the Innovation Rodeo that gives away $25,000 in cash and awards three $12,000 US scholarships to a five-week entrepreneurship boot camp held in Silicon Valley.