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The Teams

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

Last night in the nation’s [U.S.A. that is] capital we listened to some amazing speakers and then watched 55 pitches!

People talked, recruited, bribed [?] and things shook down to 11 teams:
1. Feeling Lucky
Feeling Lucky will be a full service website that will cater to all the requirements of lottery players. The site would offer 3 types of services (each addressing corresponding problems listed above):

  • Past Number Trend Analysis: This section of the site would allow users to create lottery ticket combinations based on past drawn numbers. Users could run various reports (e.g. (i) most frequent numbers drawn in the last 1 year (ii) least frequent numbers drawn in the last 5 years (iii) most frequently drawn Megaball number and so on) This would allow users to create strategies and save these strategies as well as back test them against prior data. Also, as the results of subsequent drawings are available they can be compared against your saved strategies to determine how effective your strategies are.
  • Messenger service: This section of the site would allow users to play the lottery without going to a store to purchase the ticket. Users can establish a balance with our site and add to their cart what lotteries they would like us to play for them.
  • Lottery Pools: This section of the site would allow users to invest their money in lottery pools. We could have multiple lottery pools with different attributes e.g. 1 pool could be a $100 pool with 100 combinations based on the most frequently drawn numbers strategy. Another pool could be $100 pool with 100 combinations based on quick pick strategy and so on. users could invest small amounts of money in multiple pools e.g. $5 in pool 1, $5 in pool 2 and so on and thereby maximize their chances of winning

2. iTribute
iTribute is an electronic memorial service.  The problem: Gravestones do not allow for the full expression of a person’s legacy.  The solution: Bar-code embedded on memorial site. User takes photo of bar-code and relevant media is uploaded to their mobile device.Have very rough prototype of application. Have logo.
3. iSpeedShop.com
iSpeedShop.com facilitates more efficient and accurate shopping from the palm of your hand.  It’s a must-have app for the supermarket-challenged.  Enjoy more free time, avoid frustrating searches and control spending with iSpeedShop.com.

Retailers can also recognize benefits.  Increase sales via add-on recommendations.  Attract more clientèle through special promotions. Don’t search, just shop with iSpeedShop.com.
4. There Was a Spark
Rekindling the sparks from last night through a web site where you can post the “who what when and where” of your lost connection. [better option than craigslist? :) ] Have mockups and IA completed.
5. TSJ
Community-based resume sourcing for Government Cleared developers. Have a solid development team. Minimum viable concept is defined. Writing strategic initiative with pivots. Coding has begun.
6. Team HOA
Homeowners want to pay their HOA fee online and payhoa.com provides a way for property management companies to provide that to their customers. We make it easy and streamlined to set up and provide it to their users quickly. Thereby we reduce eliminate nonpayment and delinquency. Concept defined and coding started.
7. PitchNight
Application for pitch nights to quickly capture and publish pitches and information around them for events like Startup Weekend (and others). <– This team was working on something different and found it already existed.
8. Always Fresh Contacts
Application that proactively pushes reminders to stay in contact with your network if you haven’t touched based with them lately.
9. Head-to-Bed
Head-to-Bed.com is a comprehensive web resource for everything you need for sleep. We are developing a publishing system to express knowledge and a web store with multiple microsites. *We have domain expertise as founder has professional experiece as a sleep counselor.
10. CocoSouffle
CocoSoufflé, an online boutique registry, was cooked up to ensure life’s sweetest (or bitter sweet) moments never go unacknowledged.  Your best friend’s decision to leave that toxic relationship; your sister’s graduation from college; your favorite barista never forgetting your extra whip – these women deserve a little extra puff, but what to get?  The CocoSoufflé registry conveniently houses a woman’s “sweet list” of the items she most appreciates, or can’t stop eyeing. So rather than guessing (or forgetting to guess) what to get the special ladies all around, simply log onto CocoSoufflé, click and send.  Being the shining star who never forgets got a lot easier and much more cosmopolitan.  There is more to life than celebrating a wedding and a baby; never let another sweet (or bitter sweet) moment escape her.
11 .Parley
We are a talent agency for brilliant and creative professionals.
Vision:We will be a liason between talent and problems. We will open doors for our members, to showcase their talents. We will provide talent, insights and consultancy to our corporate partners. We will create community.

Tick…Tock… we’re getting close

Friday, August 13th, 2010

We’re onsite at Touchstone getting things ready. ~2 hours until gametime here at Startup Weekend DC.

Can’t wait to see everyone! Be sure to bring your idea, your thinking cap and your laptop!

The space is great, we’ve got great sponsors and speakers. This weekend is gonna rock.

-SWDC10 crew

#SWDC10 is OFICIALLY SOLD OUT!

Friday, August 13th, 2010

NOW IT’S REALLY ON…

Official Tweet sent from @YoungImpact at 9:17 AM EST:

@startupweekend #SWDC10 is OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT! Can’t wait to see u @TouchstoneCG! Sorry SLHackers =( http://dc.startupweekend.org

Noiz Ivy Announces Special SWDC Opportunity

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

This just in from #SWDC10 Sponsor Noiz Ivy!

The collaborative fast-paced format of Startup Weekend is being deployed again in Washington DC, and Noiz Ivy wants to help diverse entrepreneurial concepts and teams gain access to advanced US-based manufacturing resources, professional product development and mass-market distribution experts to aid in launching their dreams.

In an effort to bring talented entrepreneurs together with US-based manufacturing & development professionals, Noiz Ivy will be providing a ‘venture spotlight’ to any #SWDC10 project that intends to produce manufactured widgets for the toy, game, electronic, medical, industrial, automotive or general consumer market segments.

Edutainment concepts, novel materials-use concepts, and physical-digital product integration concepts will be of specific interest.

Through the commitments of our partners, Noiz Ivy will provide access to expert consultation in the areas of prototyping, business modeling & development, material sourcing, cost projections, legal, product and information management to any #SWDC10 production with the potential for market success.

Are You Ready for SWDC?

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

Dear SWDCers,

On behalf of Startup Weekend, Touchstone Consulting, Young Impact, & our dedicated team of Sponsors, WELOME to what is going to be a high-energy, hyper-productive, and all-around magnanimous Startup Weekend!

You may still have last-minute questions percolating.  Hopefully this will help:

  • Travel & Parking: Please use the Metro if possible (Red Line to Dupont Circle—the South exit will put you in front of the Krispy Kreme.  Walk down 19th St, away from Dupont Circle and hang a right on N St.). If you drive Friday night, please be sure to arrive as close to 5:30 PM as possible.  While you may exit the garage anytime, entry is restricted past 7 PM.  Garage parking is free courtesy of Touchstone.  You may use the garage on Saturday too, however it requires a coveted security card and handshake.  Please let us know Friday if you plan to drive in Saturday morning.
  • Important Times: Arrival times are Friday @ 5:30 PM, Saturday @ 8 AM, and Sunday @ 8:30 AM.  Plan to depart Tstone HQs by 10:30 PM at the very latest on Friday and Saturday.
  • Keg: Yes – Saturday night. Red Hook.
  • What to bring: Computer/chargers, pic/vid cams, an open mind, notepad, and anything helpful for building & launching startups.
  • Spread the word: Make your tweets burst with flavor!  Just add a dash of #SWDC10 hashtag and share the excitement across your entire  social network.
  • Brainstorm: Have you thought about pitching an idea? Here’s the link to the FB Group for the uber-ambitious where you can share and collaborate.

Feel free to send questions to stephen@youngimpact.com and we’ll try to get back to you asap (but don’t be peeved or offended if we can’t respond until tomorrow–lots to do still!).  Get well-rested and look forward to an awesome  Startup Weekend DC!

See you soon!

>Stephen (@YoungImpact)
>Nick (@nickseguin)

>Nicole (@daysINmyShoes)
>Touchstone(@TouchstoneCG)


Details
Event
: Startup Weekend DC
Date: Friday, August 13, 2010 at 6:00 PM – Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 7:30 PM (ET)
Location:
Touchstone Consulting Group
1920 N Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20036-1621
For more information click here: Startup Weekend DC

SWDC DETAILS & AGENDA

Monday, August 9th, 2010

IT’S ON!

Startup Weekend DC takes place at SRA Touchstone Consulting located at 1920 N Street Northwest Washington, DC 20036.  We’re metro-accessible and only blocks away from the Dupont Circle Station. View Map Here

Once on location, you will quickly realize Touchstone’s open floor plan is ideal for maximum collaboration, creativity, and community-/company-building.

Have you told your friends that you’re going to Startup Weekend DC? Make sure to post it on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and whatever other networks you use. We are even helping out by providing your posts:

For Twitter: “I’m launching a startup this weekend #SWDC10.  You should too! Come join me at http://ow.ly/2ncK2”

For Facebook & LinkedIn: “I’m launching a startup this weekend at Startup Weekend DC!  Hurry up and come join at http://ow.ly/2ncK2”

Travel: Use the metro (if/whenever possible).  We’re confirming whether we’ll have garage parking at Touchstone’s facility.  Friday evening looks good; still waiting to hear about Saturday.

And here’s an outline of the amazing weekend ahead…(please keep in mind this is a tentative schedule and events, activities, and anything else may/can/will change)

Friday, August 13

5:30pm Doors open. Dinner (catered by Luna Diner & Grill with vegetarian option) & networking, merriment, and mingling.

6pm Welcome – review weekend schedule & venue details

6:30pm Official kick-off

  • Sponsor thank you and recognition
  • Explain format of event and agenda for the weekend
  • Explain pitching/voting process
  • Explain how to pitch effectively

7:00pm Speakers (~10 mins)

8pm Pitches begin

  • Keep pitches simple and to the point
  • Identify what talent your need to complete the venture
  • Pinpoint what you hope to accomplish over the weekend (get as close to a working demo or prototype on Sunday as possible; scope of the idea needs to fall into a weekend time frame)
  • 60-second pitches (hard stop) and you can pitch multiple times

9pm Group discussions

  • Form teams around ideas
  • Pitches end – time for mingling and discussion; teams start to loosely form

10pm Teams solidify

11pm Everyone knows what team they are on–no stragglers!  Break off to a bar/hotel/cafe to continue the discussion and attempt to paper prototype out their application.

Saturday, August 14

8am Arrive @Touchstone

10am Prototype(s) sketched out, teams decide on working title, technical plans in process. Start getting servers live, buying domains, creating user flows, etc.

11am Team updates – send team logos and business descriptions

11:30am Lunch

12pm Speaker – Clarity Law Group

12:30pm Prototyping

2pm More coding, business plan development

6pm Dinner + more development

Sunday, August 15

8:30am Arrive alive and ready for last-mile

10am Teams should have a live splash page up with an email capture and a simple blog

12:00pm Lunch (Chipotle!)

2pm Prototyping and pitch prep

5pm Dinner and presentations begin

Panel:

  • Charles Planck (Affinity Lab)
  • Jonathon Schuster (Sproutbox)
  • Mark Marich (Global Entrepreneurship Week)
  • Devon Lofretto (Noiz Ivy)
  • Other panelists being confirmed

7pm:    SW Wrap-up!

*Remember: This is a startup atmosphere. Just because a team forms Friday night around an idea doesn’t mean that team is intact Sunday or that the idea that was pitched is the business.  Teams can form, break apart… rogue teams can mobilize. We’re just looking for great things Sunday! (Props to SW Chicago for this disclaimer)

Intridea in the SWDC Mix!

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Local web product & services firm Intridea was a mover n’ shaker in the D.C. tech scene since inception in 2007.  Numerous awards and successful app launches later, please welcome Intridea as Gold Sponsor of Startup Weekend DC 2010!

Fun SW fact: We learned Intridea’s Co-founder and Senior Partner, Chris Selmer, is a SWDC alumnus from the 2007 event hosted at Viget Labs !

Interviews from Tel-Aviv

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

See the powerful interviews from Startup Weekend in Tel Aviv!

Workspace in Affinity Labs for SWDC Teams!

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

If you’re into startups in DC, then you’ve heard of Affinity Lab.

This entrepreneurial hotspot in Adams Morgan is a shared office space-mecca for creative businesses, non-profits, start-ups, and meetups.  Affinity Lab has teamed-up with Startup Weekend DC to offer:

  • Each team a $50 voucher for Lab membership (~22% discount off of monthly virtual membership).
  • 1 full time desk monthly membership ($995), which the awarded team can use however they like.   This could be a little more than 4 months of virtual membership or nearly 2 months of shared desk membership.**
  • The right to award ADDITIONAL prizes if Affinity finds other team(s) that  exhibit innovative businesses or teams.

Co-founder Charles Planck and Affinity Lab team members will be on-site throughout the weekend.  What are Charles n’ team looking for?  ”We will be emphasizing teams who’s models support or improve the lives of DC entrepreneurs or citizens. We will also be emphasizing teams that we feel would be a great addition to the Lab for whatever reason.”

A big Thank You to Affinity Lab!

**Full time desk is subject to availability and certain terms and conditions apply. For example if the team does not show up within a certain amount of time to claim their prize we can move them to a shared or virtual membership.

Could you have a funded startup in 4 days?

Monday, July 19th, 2010