Startup Weekend is an intense 54 hour event which focuses on building a web or mobile application which could form the basis of a credible business over the course of a weekend. The weekend brings together people with different skillsets - primarily software developers, graphics designers and business people - to build applications and develop a commercial case around them.

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Buckeye Interactive Partners with Startup Weekend Columbus to Help Aspiring Entrepreneurs

NEW ALBANY, Ohio ( Jan. 16, 2012) — Buckeye Interactive announced today the Buckeye Interactive Scholars Program started to send up to 10 developers, designers and aspiring entrepreneurs to Startup Weekend Columbus. The 54-hour event has helped educate more than 17,000 entrepreneurs at over 120 events worldwide, and has facilitated the launch of over 560 new startup ventures around the globe. Startup Weekend Columbus, kicks off Feb. 17 at TechColumbus, located at 1275 Kinnear Rd.

“I am really excited about this opportunity to partner with Startup Weekend Columbus,” said Brad Griffith, CEO of Buckeye Interactive. “It is such an exciting environment that gives aspiring entrepreneurs the motivation and networking they need to take an idea to the next step in creating a successful startup.”

The Buckeye Interactive Scholars Program is seeking applicants who are passionate about the web and entrepreneurship to attend the Startup Weekend business-launching event as Buckeye Interactive Scholars. Qualified applicants should be experienced and interested in the web development, design or business development fields. Formal education or job experience in one of these fields is preferable, but a strong proven background in volunteer, hobby and freelance work would also be considered.

All applications must be received by 11:59pm on January 23, and winners will be announced on January 25. Apply now, at http://www.buckeyeinteractive.com/scholars/

About Buckeye Interactive

New Albany, Ohio-based Buckeye Interactive is a privately held, interactive marketing and web development agency. It was founded by Brad Griffith in 2009 and offers a variety of interactive marketing solutions for small businesses. Buckeye Interactive’s capabilities include web design and development, social media, public relations, research, branding, creative and design. For more information, please visit www.buckeyeinteractive.com

Derek Rey Confirmed Speaker for February 2012 Startup Weekend

Derek Rey is the Founder of Social Envy, a leading social engagement platform. Previously he co-founded Adly, the largest celebrity endorsement platform in social media representing over 1,400 celebrities worldwide. As a member of Adly’s founding team, Derek created more than 25,000 meaningful advertising experiences for 150+ Fortune 500 brands. He has been a featured guest on Fox News discussing “Twitter advertising” and is an active member of Los Angeles’ ThinkLA advertising industry group. Derek began his career in Hong Kong where studied under one of Asia’s most respected entrepreneurs, Mila How. He returned to San Francisco to join Technorati, the leading blogosphere search engine and one of the first social media companies to embrace the “online conversation.”

Final Team Pitches

1. Rewardster – Loyalty programs digitized. 30% conversion rate at first Jimmy John’s test.

2. Haley Meals – Make home cooking easier. Pre-package ingredients into meal kits. Distribution through meal parties a la Mary Kay.

3. Foodcue.me – Buying groceries sucks. E-commerce support for local grocery stores so they can beat Wal-Mart. It’s like Instapaper and your local grocery store having a potluck and you’re invited.

4. Whotever - Dynamic, portable personal online profiles.

5. LifeList- The Mint.com for life experiences. Match you with companies that can fulfill your bucket list.

6. Cuptoopia.com – Social collaboration on digital projects. http://cuptoopia.com

7. Lasting.me – “Be Remembered the Way You Want.” Choose your guardians, leave messages, and plan your legacy.

8. ShortlistMe – “E-Harmony for Job Recruitment.”

9. UserTOS- People agree to Terms of Service without reading them. Businesses are just copying their TOS from other companies. Unified Terms of Service businesses and users can agree upon and extend.

10. CozyPress – Intuitive website builder based on WordPress.

11. SourceMatch – Microlending management

12. DemandZilla – “I really wish there was ____ in our city, ______.”

13. PortfolioBoost – Connect designers with communities and professionals to improve their portfolios.

14. WhyStay.In – Guys/girls can plan to hang out with other groups with similar interests.

15. Kuhcoon – Small businesses are not utilizing social media. Social media tools for businesses to build a local community.

16. MaxiMin – Unique UI for understanding World Bank and UN socioeconomic data. Connect with organizations to visualize their data.

17. chatKong – Easily embedded chatroom for any website.

18. Babelfish: Connect interpreters with businesses.

Sunday Panel Discussion

Before the StartupWeekend Columbus teams present their hard work from this weekend, we’ll be engaged by a panel discussion featuring:

Pam Springer- Founder/CEO, Manta
Michael Butler – Partner, NCT Ventures
Victor Thorne- Head of Ohio Tech Angels Fund (OTAF)
Alan Homewood- Founder, 2Checkout
Brooke Paul- Founders Factory

(5:20) Pam Springer: Be open to business models and opportunistic in solving problems.

(5:27) Victor Thorne: OTAF has invested in 35 companies since 2006 with an average investment of $500K. Portfolio companies have gone on to raise $200 million in VC funding. ”It’s about the people….You can be an entrepreneur in your job, you just have to take chances in the job you’re in.”

(5:31) Alan Homewood: If you see something you believe in, go for it. “I took longer than I should have to interact with other business owners.”

(5:34) Brooke Paul: I’ve had three startups that were successful and probably 30 that weren’t.

Q&A Time.

Q: What is the first thing you think about in the morning?

Pam Springer: It’s important to be organized. It can be overwhelming because there’s so much to do. Organizing at the quarter, then breaking goals down into months and weeks, you can stay structured.

Q: Is it money or people that keeps you up at night?

Springer: We’re growing, so I’m worried about building the next round of internal leaders as the company grows.

Paul: For me it’s customers and revenue. If you don’t have customers, you don’t really have a business. The biggest thing for me is getting customers and revenue.

Q: How do you manage work-life balance?

Homewood: I wasn’t married when I started. I had no balance once I was still working and married. I have balance now. The thing that gets me up every morning is tackling the next obstacle to make us more successful. It’s important to monitor results, not just activities.

Q: There’s a moment with a lot of startups when the momentum might stall. How do you keep momentum going after a weekend like SW?

Thorne: One of the important pieces when building an idea is finding people who have a problem and will pay for a solution. Try and validate your theories by talking to customers.

Q: Difference between a fundable business and a lifecycle business?
Butler: A fundable business is something that’s bigger than yourself and can scale beyond yourself. It can get to a point where you can make money while you sleep. It should have a large enough market where people will pay for your solution.

Q: How do you know where to direct/focus your business’s resources?

Springer: We already had a successful business, but when we found the direction that would be a bigger opportunity, we brought in bankers and consultants to confirm which opportunity would be the most promising. We phased out some revenue-generating business to push them toward Manta, which worked out. Also make sure whether you are building a company or a product. There is a difference and you need to manage them differently.

Thorne: A lot of times when people raise $100K from angels or family, they don’t build cash management into their initial plans. Make sure to think about where you will be in a couple years and your sales/marketing costs. Take time out to think through an executable business plan.

Q: Do VCs pay a salary to founders and how active are they in building out a company’s business plan?

Butler: We look for people who leave their jobs to jump into these opportunities full-time.

Paul: I think it’s fair to say there’s an expectation you’ve done that already before you raise funding.

Homewood: I kept my job so I didn’t have to raise funding, but the economics are different for every person and business.

Thorne: When I raised my first million for our business, I did not take a salary and used my retirement money. I felt like it was my skin in the game and allowed me to get more cash in the end than paying myself salary. We (OTAF) are taking a risk by investing in businesses without revenue, so we expect the entrepreneur to be taking income risks.

Q: What stage company are you looking at?

Butler: The perfect stage company for us is one that needs money to fulfill customer orders. They can show us that one dollar invested will earn $10 in revenue.

Paul: There’s support in this community for any stage company.

Q: What are the benefits and negative aspects of incorporating and operating in Columbus?

Springer: It’s been great for us. There’s plenty of talent. We have perspective and don’t get distracted by the rest of the startup buzz. I wouldn’t build anywhere but here.

Homewood: Columbus is a vibrant city in the Midwest. It’s also been a test market for major corporations because of the diversity in the local population.