2013 Media Placements - The Abbi Agency

NIRECTable Of Contents

Date Publication Title2/25/2013 Reno Gazette Journal Race Against Time For Next Big Startup

2/23/2013 Reno Gazette Journal Create A Firm In 54 Hours?

2/22/2013 KRNV News 4Startup Weekend Provides Crash Course For

New Entrepreneurs

2/21/2013 KOLO 8Startup Weekend: Build A Business In 54

Hours

2/20/2013 KRNV News 4 Reno Ready For More Silver State Startups

2/20/2013 KRNV News 4 - Homepage Reno Ready For More Silver State Startups

2/13/2013 Reno Gazette Journal - OnlineCan You Start A Business In 54 Hours? Startup

Weekend Reno Says Yes

2/11/2013 Northern Nevada Business Weekly Event's Goal: New Company In A Weekend

2/10/2013 Northern Nevada Arts & Entertainment 54-Hour Crash Course In Business Startups

2/10/2013 Northern Nevada Arts & Entertainment Ignite Reno

1/16/2013 Las Vegas StartupsContest To Attract Tech Companies To

Nevada Enters Next Phase

1/15/2013 Vegas INCContest To Attract Tech Companies To

Nevada Enters Next Phase

1/15/2013 The Vegas GeekContest To Attract Tech Companies To

Nevada Enters Next Phase

1/14/2013 Reno Gazette JournalEntrepreneurs Vie For Nevada $100k Upstart

Prize

1/12/2013 Elko Daily Free PressEntrepreneurs Vie For Nevada $100k Upstart

Prize

1/12/2013 Nevada AppealNevada Entrepreneurs Vie For $100,000

Upstart Prize

Startup Weekend: Build A Business In 54 Hours

Startup Weekend is a 54-hour business-launching frenzy starting this Friday at the old Southside School here in downtown.

At Startup Weekend community members are challenged to create new businesses in 54-hours while we provide them with everything they need to get the job done (including mentors, coaches, internet, a place to work together, food, you name it).

What kinds of businesses?

Primarily tech focused; so apps, websites, ecommerce and the like, mostly because those are the easiest businesses to start in on weekend.

Okay, so can anybody join? Do I need to know something about techy business or coding?

Not necessarily.

We encourage anyone and everyone with a great idea to stop sitting on it and give it a chance, though we are definitely looking to pull in as many designers, coders, and developers as possible too.

But what if my idea isn’t perfected? So we understand that business is a process.

Most of the time you can’t just write a 30-page business plan that tells the future with perfect detail.

The truth is that business is a learning experience and things change as soon as you launch your site or open your doors.

You find out that you are targeting the wrong customers, that you need to tweak some details about your product, or even that people have no desire for dirt-flavored candy; who knows.

Using the lean business principles our idea is to help show people how to build, measure, learn and repeat to get it right.

Startup Weekend provides some of that experiential learning in a condensed format, and teams often come out with a lot of momentum.

So give me a run-down of the weekend; what does it look like when I walk in Friday evening?

So on Friday we start with an overview of the weekend, some dinner, and ice-breakers before jumping right in to open-mic-night if you will.

Anyone with a great idea is welcome to get up and give a 30-second pitch about who they are, their idea, why it matters, and who they need to help them out.

From there everyone votes for their favorite ideas and teams form and begin the frenzy of business creation preparing to create their prototypes and minimum viable products for presentation on Sunday evening.

Is there any cost involved?

Startup Weekend IS a global grass-roots non-profit organization, but we do have a modest cost of $99 for the weekend ($49 for students) to participate this weekend.

So how do people register?

Simply visit reno.startupweekend.org.

Again that is R.E.N.O.-DOT-StartupWeekend-DOT-O.R.G.

And one last time; when is it again?

Friday, February 22nd through 24th at the Old Southside School here in Downtown Reno (next to the discovery museum). 54-hours to start a business.

RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- From free classes through the University of Nevada to a startup

business competition this weekend, Reno is ready for the next biggest little startup company - and its

CEO could be you.

"I just really want to help people navigate the waters so they can do what they want to do," said Bryan

McArdle.

McArdle is a small business owner and he's one of the organizers of Startup Weekend Reno, a 54-hour

competition that starts with pitching ideas and forming teams.

"The rest of the weekend is sort of building the idea," McArdle said. "Creating a name, a logo, maybe

launching a website, trying to find a sustainable business idea."

Deputy Director of the Nevada Small Business Development Center Winnie Dowling says it's a great way

to put ideas into action.

"A business plan competition helps people because it just jump starts the whole process," Dowling said.

It could help entrepreneurs over a major hurdle.

"One of the biggest obstacles is getting financing and this will sometimes facilitate financing," Dowling

said.

That's exactly what McArdle said happened after Startup Weekend Las Vegas.

The winner was LaunchvKey and they just got 750 thousand dollars in funding," McArdle said.

Dowling said another common problem is putting ideas onto paper.

"We can review their business plan, we can help them fine tune it," Dowling said.

The university also offers guidance through the Service Corps of Retired Executives.

"The start up classes that SCORE teaches are free," Dowling said.

"There's so many opportunities to get out there and start working on your idea that there's no excuse to

just sit at home and sit on it," McArdle said.

McArdle said an event like this would have helped him start his company faster.

"It always takes three times as long a twice as much as you think it does," McArdle said.

But with the help of a team at Startup Weekend Reno, McArdle said it's possible.

"You can build a business in 54 hours," McArdle said.

If you have an idea you think would make a great startup company, or if you're into things like

marketing, graphic design, or website coding, you can register for Startup Weekend through Friday. Click

here for more information.

2/20/2013

Also, a new Reno hackathon will showcase Windows 8 development platform.

Local entrepreneurs will get to find out how fast they can turn dreams into reality during Startup Weekend Reno, Feb. 22-24. The marathon event gathers designers and developers for a "concept-to-launch crunch," according to Startup Weekend announcement.

Here's more from the organizers:

Local CEOs, founders and startup veterans will be on hand to provide insight and expertise on the fast-paced world of technology startups in order to motivate and educate Startup Weekend Reno

participators.

On Feb. 22, registered attendees will take to an open mic inside the weekend's venue, the Southside School, and begin pitching ideas to the group in 60 seconds or less. Ideas are typically web and mobile applications, and once pitched are voted on to create teams for top ideas.

The weekend is spent making the ideas come to life, and a plethora of resources and advice from regional entrepreneurs is offered to participants. Prizes include office space, marketing support and web hosting.

Details: What: Startup Weekend Reno Chief organizer: Daniel Herr When: Starts 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22 Where: Southside School, 190 East Liberty St., Reno More info: reno.startupweekend.org or contact Daniel Herr at 775-393-9285

Another hackathon dawns March 2 in Reno

The Reno Hackathon is coming next month, adding to a tech-development flurry in Northern Nevada.

EDAWN and PC Doctor, organizers of the 24-hour event, invite app developers from noon March 2 until noon March 3 to explore the Microsoft Windows 8 development platform. Microsoft Licensing is hosting the hackathon.

The event challenges individuals or teams to create apps and compete for cash prizes. Microsoft Evangelists will be there to answer questions and help participants along.

You can register at www.renohackathon.com and sign up for prizes and drawings. There will be a pre-event social from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at Washoe Steakhouse, to mingle with other contestants and ask questions prior to the hackathon.

Other sponsors of the event are The Reno Collective, C4CUBE, Bosma Group, Northern Nevada Software Developers Group, Holland & Hart, University of Nevada, Reno, Monster Energy Drink and Battle Born Beer.

1/16/2013

We previously wrote about the $100k Nevada business canvas competition that was happening in Nevada called Project Vesto. The competition is funded by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and supported by NIREC.

Well, the deadline has passed for companies to submit their business model canvas and based on the number of submissions, there is a lot of entrepreneurship happening in Nevada. Over 232 companies completed applications.

Of course, the challenge for Project Vesto is that with such a large response they’ve had to modify the dates for the judging. All 232 companies are suppose to get a chance to pitch to the judges. Then, the judges will select 10 companies which will be put up for online voting.

We’ll keep you updated with what’s happening with Project Vesto as it progresses. Also, the full press release is pasted below for those who want to learn more.

1/15/2013

A Nevada business competition with a $100,000 prize moves into its next phase in the next six

weeks, and contest organizers say they received more applications than they expected.

Project Vesto, funded by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and supported by the

Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization, is a contest designed to attract new

technology companies to the state.

1/15/2013

Officials announced the contest in October at a showcase event for entrepreneurs and set a Dec.

31 deadline for applications. Organizers received 232 applications with proposals ranging from

biofuel companies and biotechnology cancer cell testing laboratories to dance studios, restaurants

and web companies.

Applicants will next get five minutes to pitch their proposals to a panel of judges that will whittle

the list of finalists to 10. Those 10 proposals will be presented on a website and the winner will

be chosen through an online vote that is expected begin in March and run all month.

Project Vesto’s tagline is, “$100,000 cash. Your business idea. A room of investors. 5 minutes.

One chance to prove you have what it takes.”

The winning entrant is required to become based in Nevada and hold a Nevada business license

prior to receiving the award.

The volume of applications forced organizers to push back the selection process.

“Project Vesto is showing Nevada entrepreneurs that there are other tools out there besides the

typical 30-page business plan,” said Daniel Herr, project manager of Project Vesto.

He said that while only one applicant would win the $100,000 prize, the process would give

entrepreneurs the experience of pitching their proposals in a real-world environment and network

with potential investors.

“These are real people with real money who could actually invest in their business,” Herr said.

CARSON CITY (AP) — Hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs are hoping for a chance to win cold cash to help them launch a new Nevada business venture.

Some 232 teams have submitted proposals to Project Vesto, a Nevada business competition offering a $100,000 prize for the best idea, contest sponsors said Friday. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development is funding half the prize money.

The deadline for applications was Dec. 31. Ideas must be for the creation of a for-profit business to be based in Nevada. The business can be a startup or early-stage venture, defined as a business that has not earned more than $1 million or received more than $100,000 in investment backing.

Project organizers said business proposals received include biofuel companies, biotechnology cancer cell testing laboratories, dance studios, restaurants and Web companies.

Applicants had to limit their proposals to a one-page business model summarizing the most important aspects of their idea.

“Project Vesto is showing Nevada entrepreneurs that there are other tools out there besides the typical 30-page business plan,” said Daniel Herr, program manager at Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization, which is coordinating the contest.

In the next phase, applicants will get five minutes to pitch their business plan to a panel of judges, made up of potential investors and venture capitalists.

“These are real people with real money who could actually invest in their business,” Herr said.

Judges will select 10 team finalists who will then have to develop a marketing strategy to sell their ideas to the public, which will choose the overall winner through online voting that’s expected to begin by March.

Hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs are hoping for a chance to win cold cash to help them launch a new

Nevada business venture.

Some 232 teams have submitted proposals to Project Vesto, a Nevada business competition offering

$100,000 prize for the best idea, contest sponsors said Friday. The Governor's Office of Economic

Development is funding half the prize money.

The deadline for applications was Dec. 31. Ideas must be for the creation of a for-profit business to be

based in Nevada. The business can be a startup or early-stage venture, defined as a business that has

not earned more than $1 million or received more than $100,000 in investment backing.

Project organizers said business proposals received include biofuel companies, biotechnology cancer cell

testing laboratories, dance studios, restaurants and Web companies.

Applicants had to limit their proposals to a one-page business model summarizing the most important

aspects of their idea.

“Project Vesto is showing Nevada entrepreneurs that there are other tools out there besides the typical

30-page business plan,” said Daniel Herr, program manager at Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy

Commercialization, which is coordinating the contest.

In the next phase, applicants will get five minutes to pitch their business plan to a panel of judges, made

up of potential investors and venture capitalists.

“These are real people with real money who could actually invest in their business,” Herr said.

Judges will select 10 team finalists who will then have to develop a marketing strategy to sell their ideas

to the public, which will choose the overall winner through online voting that's expected to begin by

March.