Volunteering for Startup Weekend changed the trajectory of my life. I was in my 20’s and feeling stuck. There was a Startup Weekend event being held in Rochester, NY where I grew up and I went. We pitched FitPartnr. A place to connect with people to work out. I remember leaving that event thinking it was better than the MBA program I was in. Buffalo didn’t have it. Of course we didn’t.
Then I went to a Buffalo Open Coffee and the guys there said “bring it here”. The thought never crossed my mind until then.
We all worked together and ended up bringing the event to Buffalo. I think we did it 7 times? Lost count. But it made real impact. It was real grassroots. It was cool.
Then after making all those connections 43North comes to town and I was able to get a gig there. None of that happens if I didn’t go to Startup Weekend in Rochester.
I say all this because right now I’m thinking about AI and how all those ideas at Startup Weekend could be built in a day.
I’m envisioning a weekend where main street businesses and technologists collide. Pitch problems they face in their industry/vertical and see if we can help them build out solutions.
It may lead to a big idea that turns into a business or just help our small business community. Either way, a nice outcome.
Some more brainstorming will need to be done but there’s something here.
