Startups Archive

2013 Google for Entrepreneurs events

March 5, 2013 | By
dball
2013 Google for Entrepreneurs events

Thanks to everyone who came to Google for Entrepreneurs Day at CoCo on Feb. 20. If you missed it, check out this awesome highlight video.

The big announcement that day was the launch of a Google-sponsored, two-year run of events at CoCo – all geared toward startups and tech. These events will take several forms. You can see them all plotted on one page…or read on.

Big events

The backbone of the year will be several larger scale events, where we can invite lots of people in to share ideas, socialize and develop new ideas and businesses:

  • Google for Entrepreneurs Happy Hour (Fri. May 3rd, 2013)  Word on the street is that Google+ will be a hot topic!
  • Startup Weekend Twin Cities (Spring & Fall) Already a successful semi-annual event, SWTC will be bringing the party to CoCo.
  • Fail Fest (July) A suggestion from one of our members, this evening event will encourage attendees to tell their failure stories and talk about the role of failure in developing character and entrepreneurial skills.
  • Google for Entrepreneurs Pitch Event (December) The culmination of the year’s events, in which startups can practice their pitches and vie for special prizes.

User groups and meetups

During the year, we’ll play host to recurring tech and startup-focused meetups, including:

  • Google Developers Group – Twin Cities (monthly) A meetup for developers who work with the Google software stack.
  • Android Users Group of MN (monthly, alternating between CoCo and Code 42) A meetup for developers, marketers and others who are interested in the Android environment.
  • House of Genius (semi-monthly) A new event in the Twin Cities that brings together startups and a diverse and changing cast of mentors.
  • Rails MN (monthly, 2nd Mondays) A meetup designed to help those learning Ruby on Rails build new business, cool prototypes or side projects.
  • Healthcare.MN (monthly, 1st Mondays) A meetup for healthcare-focused tech startups.

Hangouts

CoCo wil host two types of online-only events, which will be held via Google Hangouts and will be open to all who are interested. These events will feature local entrepreneurs and tech and marketing experts from Google.

  • Startup Marketing 101 (March, June, August, November)
  • Future of Technology in MN (April, October)

Black Box Mondays

Following the Google event, we received so many suggestions for events (thank you!) that we realized we needed a way to accommodate new and interesting ideas as they come up during the year. The solution? On nearly half the Mondays in 2013, we’ll open up our Classroom in Minneapolis for meetups, workshops and classes that are geared toward tech and startups. Below are some of the potential classes and meetups, many of which were suggested (and we hope will be led or moderated) by our community.

  • Investor education
  • How *not* to love your startup
  • Entrepreneurship & economic development for the rest of MN
  • How and when to pivot
  • Coders & Makers meetup
  • Google Apps for mere mortals
  • “For startups” series
    • UI design for startups
    • PR for startups
    • SEO for startups
    • Content marketing for startups
    • Finance & accounting for startups
    • Strategic partnerships for startups
    • Tech marketing for startups

Got and idea for a Black Box session? Let us know!

Tech Cocktail comes to MN!

September 14, 2011 | By
dball
Tech Cocktail comes to MN!

Tues., Oct. 4
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
CoCo Minneapolis

Have you heard of Tech Cocktail? It’s a national global tech blog that hosts events across the country, including cities like Chicago, DC, Boston, San Francisco, Austin, Boulder, San Diego and Barcelona. Tech Cocktail is coming to Minnesota to help add fuel to the bonfire that is our growing local tech scene.

Join us for an evening of fun mingling with other technology enthusiasts, investors, bloggers and entrepreneurs as we showcase local technology companies and take a closer look at their latest achievements.

Register now

Tickets: $10 early bird, $15 standard ticket, $20 last minute

Tech Cocktail offers a handful of startups an opportunity to show off in an expo-style to the rest of the Minneapolis entrepreneurial community for FREE.  If you have a startup you would like to show off at Tech Cocktail Minneapolis please submit this form. The Tech Cocktail team (which sees hundreds of startups a year) will evaluate the entries and contact you if your startup is selected. Please note that space is limited.

Apply to demo your startup at TechCocktail Minneapolis!

Thanks to our co-organizers, the Ovative Group

CoCo and Project Skyway to team up in Minneapolis

March 8, 2011 | By
dball
CoCo and Project Skyway to team up in Minneapolis

In his State of the City address today, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak announced that CoCo and Project Skyway will be teaming up in Minneapolis.

CoCo and Project Skyway have been looking separately for locations in Minneapolis. At the urging of the city, the two groups decided to operate out of the same space. A final space has not been selected, but the teams are considering buildings in downtown Minneapolis, near-Northeast, Loring Park and North Loop.

For CoCo, this will be its second location and will feature specially designed collaborative settings designed by the commercial furniture maker Steelcase. The new space will also feature several meeting locations for use by members for everyday meetings and by visiting organizations for off-site meetings.

About Project Skyway
Project Skyway is Minnesota’s first seed-stage tech startup accelerator program for motivated entrepreneurs. The program will build connections among entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and other innovation hubs, and bring them together both online and in physical space. The vision places emphasis on building companies with long-term, sustainable value, ethical practices, mentorship, and strong networks.

Project Skyway, Launch.MN and CoCo members pose with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak after his State of the City address. (l-r) Jeff Heegaard, Kyle Coolbroth, Judy Grundstrom, John Montague, Darren Cox, R.T. Rybak and Don Ball.

Startup Bus coming to CoCo

February 28, 2011 | By
dball
Startup Bus coming to CoCo

Tuesday, March 8
5 p.m. until ?

That’s right, it’s a bus full of geeks working on new businesses as they the journey from Chicago to SxSW in Austin. And they’re making a pit-stop at CoCo.

Come meet the intrepid entrepreneurs and send off Minnesota’s own Andy Erikson, who will join the ride.

Full story at Tech.MN