March 02, 2015 at 3:51 PM

Some people spend years learning the nuances of building a viable business plan, brand identity, and a working prototype in the hopes of launching a successful business. Now, imagine if you and a random group of strangers were given three days to accomplish the same feat? This is the challenge 100 potential entrepreneurs stepped up to this past weekend (Feb. 27 – March 1, 2015) during the Charlotte Startup Weekend at the UNC Charlotte Uptown campus.

This effort to promote viable, innovative ideas, by local supporters including Ventureprise, a signature sponsor of the event since its inception in 2009, the Charlotte Startup Weekend is a three-day, 54-hour entrepreneurial crash course. That provides an amazing learning experience in a short amount of time.  From Friday to Sunday, strangers banded together to create a minimally viable product (or MVP for short), a functional prototype or demo, and to develop a business model. Sounds simple, but anyone who knows anything about business and entrepreneurship can tell you this is no small deed, especially for a newly organized team with a 54-hour time limit.

With participants from multiple fields, ranging from psychology majors and journalists to software developers and graphic designers, the weekend-long experience unites people with a variety of skills and gave participants a lesson in entrepreneurship. These groups are mentored by some of Charlotte’s most creative minds and entrepreneurs, including Jennifer Daniels, founder and CEO of Good&Smart branding agency and WordPress expert Brett Bumeter. These teams developed sustainable business plans and innovative ideas, some even with a working prototype to showcase.

The Charlotte Startup Weekend provided a well-rounded learning experience for anyone that is interested in starting their own business or building relationships with fellow entrepreneurs.

Click here for more information about Charlotte Startup Weekend.

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