May
26
Written by:
Raquel Velez
5/26/2011 4:33 PM
by Jim Van Fleet - CTO, Otherscreen
I described on my blog some of my reasons for organizing Charlotte Startup Weekend, and I'll offer a targeted reflection here, now that the event has concluded successfully. I don't make any secret about my desire to have Charlotte take its rightful place on the roster of cities who "get" technology and technology startups. I know that many of you in this group have similar inclinations. But how do we get there from here? How can we change the public perception of technology in Charlotte?
I don't have all those answers, but Charlotte Startup Weekend did prove some of my hypotheses about the nature of technology here. There is a lot of talent in Charlotte, enough that starting five businesses in the course of a weekend is now known to be a possible outcome. Paul Wettenhall, President of the Ben Craig Center, mentioned to myself and the other judges that he can't remember the last time he saw a competition of this nature where he'd recommend to each business to continue on. There is passion and work ethic. Our organizing team made only vague allusions to a prize, and there were attendees hard at work after 2AM on both nights. There is generosity. I rounded up more sponsors than I ever had for anything, and our judges were so impressed by the contestants, they volunteered a prize package beyond what I would have ever asked for directly.
It proved some less desirable hypotheses as well. There is almost no connectivity for this group. Very few people knew more than a handful of their fellow attendees before the event. I'm happy to say that the event had the desired results here. In the final evening, there was a lot of exchanging e-mails and a lot more camraderie whether inside or out. This is the sort of environment that can form successful businesses in general, perhaps even one of those presented on Sunday night. I assert that bringing together people with overlapping skillsets, high competency levels, operating within the same city on a good idea with organized support is a receipe for getting the kind of success stories that will keep me from getting laughed at when I suggest a high-profile software developer move to Charlotte for the opportunities here.
There was also a huge surprise. Chris Halligan, CEO of Otherscreen and co-founder of CRTEC, sponsored four young men from Providence Day High School to participate. Not only did they participate, they pitched, had their pitch selected, did a great job working their idea, and put together a great presentation. There were slacked jaws in the room after their demo, and mine was one of them. I'm a lot less likely to forget our young men and women now that I have a clearer idea what they are capable of.
But what does it all mean, in the end? About 70 people worked very hard for an entire weekend, but to what purpose? It's a possibility that these businesses created during Startup Weekend will grow and continue on, but they face even longer odds than most businesses. If you are inspired by the goal of an increased profile for Charlotte technology, or if you inexplicably simply reading this post, would you please consider joining Charlotte Hackers and Founders, organized by one of our winners and asking Raquel Velez for an invite to TechCLT? This will help you get connected to these entrepreneurs and hackers in ways that may challenge and inspire you-- but you'll definitely at least have a chance to have some beers with interesting folks.
More importantly, I feel that to change the public perception of technology, we have to work on presenting an attractive public face and getting coverage from traditional media. Reporters have made it clear that Charlotte is searching for some alternative identity to banking. They've also made it clear to me that they don't have time or inclination to cover these technology events accurately. I believe that we have the skills currently among those doing grassroots organization in Charlotte to create something they'll have to cover, but we can really use your help. Volunteering your time, use of a competent staff person as a volunteer, or sponsoring an event are easy ways to get involved, and you might be surprised at some of the benefits you get in return.