Startup Weekend Bohol reels off Friday

IT’S all systems go for the first-ever Startup Weekend Bohol on May 23-25 at the University of Bohol along Ma. Clara st. in Tagbilaran City.

Startup Weekend Bohol organizers, led by Ben Skelton and Ashley Uy, expressed their heartfelt appreciation to TechTalks.ph and the Department of Science and Technology – Information and Communications Office (DOST-ICTO) for bringing this internationally-recognized event to Bohol.

DOST-ICTO executive director Usec. Louis Napoleon Casambre and deputy executive director Monchito Ibrahim were instrumental in getting us government and academic support. TechTalks.ph founder Tina Amper, has been very supportive to the Bohol team, getting sponsors and putting us in touch with the right people.” Skelton said.

“Our visitors may be surprised by the talent on show.  I see teams coming forward to work on software, hardware and tourism enterprises. We look forward to making Startup Weekend Bohol an annual event.”

Startup Weekend is a 54-hour competition where developers, designers, marketers, technopreneurs, and venture capitalists come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startup businesses.

Startup Weekends are designed for entrepreneurs interested in receiving feedback for an idea, looking for co-founders, or who want to learn new skills, especially in the field of mobile and internet applications.

The concept, which started in the US, is now a global movement, taking digital startup businesses from ideas to investment readiness through intensive mentoring from industry experts and access to markets and investors across Asia.

Participants get acquainted with one another starting Friday night, then pitch startup concepts they are passionate about and form teams around the most popular ideas. They refine their ideas and business plans and start building product prototypes with the help of the onsite mentors, and then present what they have accomplished in a four-minute pitch and demo by Sunday evening.

Over 100 participants will converge at the University of Bohol starting 5 p.m. on Friday, May 23, and start their high-energy, high-impact, and high-creativity weekend experience.

Aside from the mentors and judges, also expected to attend the weekend gathering in Tagbilaran are some investors, to whom participants will be selling their best ideas for a viable product.

Tapped to assist the participants as mentors are Auza.net founder Jerome Auza, RLComm International managing director Ruben Licera, Lexmark senior operations manager Ppip Cimafranca, Sun.Star Cebu business editor Max Limpag, PrintBit founder Roy Bayonas, and IdeaSpace community development consultant Goldy Yancha.

Invited to make up the panel of judges are DOST-ICTO deputy executive director Monchito Ibrahim, Islands Group founder and CEO Jay Aldeguer, Insights Consulting founder David Aaron, Synacy CEO Rhett Jones, Ideaspace associate director Dustin Masancay, and Orange & Bronze Software Labs CEO Calen Legaspi.

Startup Weekend Bohol, aimed at generating breakthrough ideas from tech communities in Bohol and its neighboring provinces, is organized by TechTalks.ph, co-organized by DOST-ICTO, Bohol ICT Council (BICTC) and the Provincial Government of Bohol.

TechTalks.ph is an IT grassroots community founded in Cebu by Amper in 2010. It started with only a dozen people but now has over 500 members, including businessmen, developers, and designers.

Startup Weekend Bohol is sponsored by IdeaSpace, SMART, University of Bohol, CeBuinIT, Airbnb, Islands, PrintBit, Freelancer, LiveLingua.com, Onmutu.com, Yoolk, Dalareich, iNewMedia.org, Auza.net, Rappler, Third Team Media, Vigattin Radio, Zero Three Two, InnoPub,Istorya.net, and PRWorks Vis-Min.

For more information, visit bohol.startupweekend.org or follow us on facebook and twitter @swbohol.