In Ogden, UT a group of entrepreneurs are coming together for a different kind of event in May 2014.
Alex Lawrence, Vice Provost Weber State University, is helping to organize the event, which is aimed to be unlike many events the startup ecosystem generally attends.
“We are just calling it “For Entrepreneurs, By Entrepreneurs.” It is a set of private meetings,” Alex Lawrence explained. “It’s an experienced and diverse people (think engineers, CEOs, lawyers, accountants, designers, sales, men, women, young, old, apps, software, etc.) coming together to help startups that could use their undivided attention.”
He emphasizes the private meetings are not an opportunity to pitch.
“Just old fashioned talking in a quiet, uninterrupted place,” he says. “Most of the time stuff is for networking or pitching. This is neither.”
Alex Lawrence says this event will have no sponsors and no keynote speech. Attendees can expect just time spent helping each other and finding peers to keep in touch with.
He describes himself as a “washed up, self made entrepreneur”, saying he started and sold a few businesses over 20 years. He is now making an impact in higher education by teaching and trying to help build the startup community in Utah.
“We don’t really have a team,” he said. “No paid workers at Startup Ogden. It is all community operated!”
He says the startup community in Ogden, UT is growing rapidly. “I’ve never seen more high quality entrepreneurs working on more real businesses,” he explains. “However, capital is always a problem, as well as more technical talent. Also, bigger ideas, not another photo app.”
Alex Lawrence invites the tech community in Las Vegas to come to Ogden, UT to hang out and participate in this event.
“We can help you get here very inexpensively,” he says. “We, of course, return the favor. I’ll be in Las Vegas for 4 days at the end of May 2014.”
Get in touch with Alex Lawrence by shooting him a tweet @_AlexLawrence on Twitter or contacting him on his blog.
About Startup Ogden: There has been tremendous growth across the Startup Ogden community, specifically in the web and mobile app development realm. To keep this tech community strong and productive there are regular events and meetings such as: Startup Weekend, Hack Ogden, and WEA meetings for Weber State University Students. Upon being awarded a million dollar grant, Ogden is funding the construction of the Mobile Apps Lab, The Mobile Apps Lab will take the form of a beautiful three-story building in the heart of Ogden, Utah. This building will serve as a think tank for web and mobile app development. The open architecture of the Lab promotes collaboration among designers and developers. Memberships are affordable and include all of the amenities that hard-working creatives need. In addition to the various amenities, the Mobile Apps Lab the provides mentorship though the teaching of technology and business classes.
