Laurie — This week marks the third annual Raleigh-Durham Startup Week, once again inspiring new businesses and entrepreneurs in the Triangle.
As in past years, the in-person event will be held in Durham on Tuesday and Wednesday before moving to Raleigh for sessions on Thursday and Friday. Having multiple venues is a distinctive element of the event, and co-founder Archie O’Connor says it’s core to the mission of those working on the event.
“It’s in the spirit of what we do to stay very personal,” O’Connor said in a recent phone call. “An in-person event for networking and community building and celebration.”
RDSW Team
Mr. O’Connor is extremely passionate about the Raleigh-Durham Startup Week team of volunteers who make this event possible. Founded by O’Connor and serial entrepreneur Chris Haveley, the team has expanded over the years and now has 24 “core members.”
It takes community: The secret to success at Raleigh-Durham Startup Week
This “motley” group contributes their time and expertise, with other costs covered by the sponsor. All of this effort comes together to make his Startup Week free to participants and of incredible value to the local ecosystem.
O’Connor confirmed that the event focuses primarily on technology startups and aims to invite CEOs, investors, academics and others to share resources and ideas.
“We really want to focus on founders in the entrepreneurial community,” O’Connor said. “The source of good companies is good founders, and good companies create better communities, which in turn feed back. [It] It turns into a virtuous cycle. ”
One part of this cycle is providing expertise to founders during “office hours” at the event. Tuesdays in Durham and Thursdays in Raleigh will each have dedicated hours from 9 a.m. to noon for entrepreneurs to meet with investors and experts in the fields of law and accounting. Office Hours requires advance sign-up to reserve a specific time, but event organizers are using this opportunity to offer targeted connections. Companies that desire investor time will be matched with investors by industry and growth stage whenever possible.
This is just another example of how the week’s programming serves its core audience. But O’Connor was the first to admit that the event continues to evolve to meet its goals.
“We’re experimenting a lot. In fact, we’re acting like a startup.”
Idea, Build, Scale
This year’s event has evolved in several ways, starting with the session track.
Previously, tracks were organized based on startup size. This year, he will have three tracks available that focus instead on the startup stage, or the development stage. There’s an “Idea” track for very early startups and a “Build” track for startups that are growing and stepping up. The third track is the “Scale” track, also known as the “Tweener” track after the local foundation of the same name. Companies interested in this track are moving into a more important stage of large-scale growth, generating revenue and hiring more employees.
Entrepreneurial ecosystem leverages connections at Raleigh-Durham Startup Week
O’Connor hopes that organizing the schedule by stages will provide a clearer path for participants.
“We have a whole group of panels, programs and workshops to cater to founders along each step of their journey,” he explained.
Another change this year is related to space. Sessions will still be held between Durham and Raleigh, but this year the venues in each city have been moved a little closer together. For example, last year’s session in Durham was divided into American Underground and American Tobacco Campus. Sessions will continue to be offered at American Underground this year, with additional space in the Self-Help Building, just a short walk away.
“What we want is [attendees] You can interact and network with each other. Go get a coffee, go get a beer, go get lunch, whatever,” O’Connor said of the shift. “We want to eliminate as many friction points as possible.”
Traveling between locations (let alone cities) can be difficult, but our planning team has maps and resources on our website, as well as a helpful app to make your journey smoother. . Registrants can download tools to pre-plan their schedules and connect with other participants.
networking opportunities
Another new addition this year is a “job seeker” brunch scheduled for Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Aimed at both startups and people looking for work, this event is sure to be a great way to kick off a week of networking sessions. And waffles.
The schedule is packed with panel discussions, keynotes, insightful “fireside conversations,” and more. Durham and Raleigh also offer evening events with happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively. Wednesday will feature his recently released Tweener List Awards honoring startups from his 2024 Tweener List.
Triangle Tweener Fund invests $940,000 in 18 Triangle startups
Tickets are still available for Raleigh-Durham Startup Week, but some events are currently waitlist-only. More information and register online: https://www.raleighdurhamstartupweek.com/.
