O9zJvMX8_400x400The Missouri Innovation Center has agreed to sponsor Startup Weekend in Columbia again this year. Startup Weekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable. The Columbia event takes place this year on Sept 11-13 at Museau Building, 3500 Buttonwood Dr in Columbia. The community is welcome to attend the Opening Party, Pitches and Final Presentation. See the Columbia Startup Weekend website to register or for more information.

Many successful startups have evolved from Columbia’s Startup Weekend over the past 4 years. Last year, EquipmentShare was accepted into the prestigious Y-Combinator Accelerator in Silicon Valley just a few weeks after winning the local event. EquipmentShare came back to Columbia with over $2M of angel investment after attending the accelerator. The same thing happened with Zapier 3 years earlier – although Zapier decided to remain in California.

In addition to the sponsorship, the Missouri Innovation Center has offered to provide the top 2 teams with free space and consulting services in its new Digital Venturing Center. MIC CEO, Bill Turpin, has also been selected as one of the judges.

About Bill Turpin

Bill is CEO of the Missouri Innovation Center in Columbia, MO. With over 30 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur in Texas and California, Bill moved back to Columbia in 2014 to share his experience with promising entrepreneurs and build on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Mid Missouri.