‘Startup Weekend changed my life’: 3-day competition returns with potential $150K investment prize

COLUMBIA, Missouri — Organizers of Missouri Startup Weekend — a team-based competition that takes a glimmer of a startup idea to a fleshed-out business in three days — are upping the ante in an attempt to give Show-Me State entrepreneurs a platform to spark success.

Sarah Hill, Healium, and Jabbok Schlacks, EquipmentShare, judge 2023 Missouri Startup Weekend pitches; photo courtesy of Missouri Startup Weekend

“Aspiring founders can find people who can help them build out their ideas over the weekend, with the goal of actually launching a company,” said Brett Calhoun, co-chair of Missouri Startup Weekend and general partner at Redbud VC, which organizes and hosts the event. “There’s no other event in Missouri that has that effect on entrepreneurship right now.”

Set for April 5-7 at EquipmentShare headquarters in Columbia, participants are expected to pitch new startup ideas and form teams around the top picks. Throughout the weekend they will develop their concepts through team activities. On Sunday, teams race to the finish with a final pitch for a chance to win $15,000 in non-dilutive funding.

Click here to register for Missouri Startup Weekend.

“Missouri Startup Weekend really helps educate them further on how to build a company, getting them in touch with the right people, resources, and capital,” said Calhoun. “So, if you actually want to build a business, putting all your effort in the event and winning it is a pretty substantial thing.”

Click here to check out the schedule for the April Missouri Startup Weekend event.

Early-stage wins

The best pitch winner also will receive potential investment up to $150,000 from Redbud VC, six months of office space, legal entity formation by Transitions Law Group, and branding support from Heist Collective.

“The judging criteria is a mix of showing all the work that you’ve done over the weekend in terms of what you built, have you talked to customers, did you actually get some sales, and how is your storytelling ability?” said Calhoun.

Chrystal Graves, Liquid Hair Institute, pitches during the 2023 Missouri Startup Weekend competition; photo courtesy of Missouri Startup Weekend

A college student from Mizzou who previously joined in Missouri Startup Weekend raised $1 million for the resulting startup. Chrystal Graves, the 2023 weekend winner launched her own tech business. Organizers want to continue the ripple effect of success for entrepreneurs just getting started.

“Startup Weekend changed my life,” said Chrystal Graves, founder and CEO of Liquid Hair Institute, an online community providing training for salon owners. “It showed me what was possible and helped me build a strong foundation and community to create and scale my tech company.”

Missouri Startup Weekend at EquipmentShare headquarters in Columbia in 2023; photo courtesy of Missouri Startup Weekend

Mentors on deck

The Missouri Startup Weekend team doesn’t want anyone to feel unqualified for the competition, acknowledging that this event is a stepping stone for young entrepreneurs, with a component of collaboration to ease any fears they might have about starting their own business and pitching.

“Startup weekend has the potential to be the first step in a transformational journey for an entrepreneur,” said Willy Schlacks, co-founder of EquipmentShare and Missouri Startup Weekend mentor. “I’m delighted to help, alongside so many others.” 

Participants new to the startup world have the opportunity to take advantage of the expertise of qualified mentors to give them guidance and advice on their business concepts, and to form connections for future support.

“It’s the long-term network effect,” said Saskia Cairnes, founder of Heist Collective. “These mentors have genuine connections that they can hook up to some of our young entrepreneurs.”

“It’s almost a scouting call to a lot of them who are at the other end of their career, and they’re ready now to give back to that next generation,” she added.