I've learned a lot in my 3 short years of organizing Triangle Startup Weekend (TSW). For one, you can get a lot done in 54 hours if you just focus on doing things rather than talking about what you plan to do. All of the Triangle Startup Weekends we've organized have been successes, each building on the previous and becoming a more efficient and impactful event for the startup community.
This past weekend, we hosted TSW EDU, North Carolina's first Startup Weekend focused on spurring innovation and reform in the education space. Based on feedback from attendees, coaches, judges, sponsors, other organizers, and community members that followed along on Twitter, the event was a success. But how do we define success? Better yet, how should we define success?
How do we define success?
The first question I get after TSW usually relates to how many companies were formed or how many of the companies survived and are still operational businesses. How many got funding? How many are still around? --Read On
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the upcoming Triangle Startup Weekend EDU has to spur innovation in the education space. Since then, we've had an exciting mix of educators and entrepreneurs sign up to participate in Triangle Startup Weekend EDU this weekend at HUB Raleigh.
They'll spend 54 hours pitching ideas, forming teams and, most importantly, building what could be the next big thing in Ed Tech. They'll be joined by expert coaches to help them and have an endless supply of caffiene and food to fuel their work.
I've helped organize two Triangle Startup Weekends before, but this will be the Triangle's first Startup Weekend focused on education. I have no idea exactly what will come of it, but I'm excited because I think this weekend can be the beginning of a lasting movement to spark our local Ed Tech community. --Read On
If you were invited to the White House to present to senior administration officials on the state of entrepreneurship in North Carolina, what would you ask for?
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to do just that -- lead a group of Startup NC regional champions on a trip to Washington DC, where Startup America Partnership is headquartered.
I had some pretty awesome company - I was joined by Brooks Bell (Brooks Bell), Chris Heivly (TSF), Adam Hill (Packard Place), Adam Klein (American Underground), Scott Moody, and Rick Terrell. Our group was joined by entrepreneurial leaders from 10 other states, including Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Maryland, Tennessee and Indiana.
Our job was to pitch and present on our state's entrepreneurial ecosystem to an audience of senior White House officials. It's not every day you get time and attention from the likes of Karen Mills, senior administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration; Todd Park, U.S. chief technology officer; John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Teresa Stanek Rea, acting undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and acting director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. --Read On
I've learned a lot in my 3 short years of organizing Triangle Startup Weekend (TSW). For one, you can get a lot done in 54 hours if you just focus on doing things rather than talking about what you plan to do. All of the Triangle Startup Weekends we've organized have been successes, each building on the previous and becoming a more efficient and impactful event for the startup community.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the upcoming Triangle Startup Weekend EDU has to spur innovation in the education space. Since then, we've had an exciting mix of educators and entrepreneurs sign up to participate in Triangle Startup Weekend EDU this weekend at HUB Raleigh. 
If you were invited to the White House to present to senior administration officials on the state of entrepreneurship in North Carolina, what would you ask for?