1. OPENING LETTERS
Messages from our founders celebrating past milestones
and welcoming a new year.2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS STARTUP WEEKEND
Together, we have built the largest community of doers in the world.
See how we’re building the future of entrepreneurship.4
COMMUNITY
Listen to what the global community of entrepreneurs has to say about
Startup Weekend and its global impact.8
We’re everywhere - born in the digital social age and growing fast.
REACH
12
IMPACT
The real world positive impact our community creates in
entrepreneurial ecosystems around the globe.16
PARTNERS
Our impact is not possible without our amazing partners.20
FORWARD
Looking ahead: Where will we go next?24
STARTUP
WEEKEND
IMPACT
REPORT
2012
2. LETTERS FROM
THE FOUNDERS
Franck at the Seattle Startup Weekend Women 2.0 Event
MARC NAGER
Three years have passed since we developed Startup
Weekend with one simple idea: Get more people
to experience entrepreneurship -- but it is really day one
of the Entrepreneurial Revolution. In celebrating
100,000 Startup Weekend attendees, we have witnessed
a significant shift in the way people perceive their
entrepreneurial potential.
In 2012, our community doubled.
Startup Weekend is now, de facto, the
largest entrepreneurial organization
in the world. We are growing beyond
Startup Weekend - the acquisition of
Startup Digest allows our community
to connect easily to its local ecosystem.
The development of NEXT will
help founders learn from the best
curriculum in the world.
This movement is still at its beginning.
As Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says,
“It’s all about the long term,” we
believe that a fundamental measure
of our long term success will be the
improvement of the “Entrepreneurial
Journey” through action-based
education. If we can just be a little
better every step of the way, this
movement will not only revolutionize
our economies, but our personal lives
as well. We know Startup Weekend
has a very substantial impact on our
community. We’ve seen people finding
jobs, creating sustainable startups,
becoming facilitators, meeting their
future founders -- and of course, some
raising millions of dollars and creating
new jobs. We’ve also seen people
failing and trying again and again. The
90% of you who will fail should not
be afraid. As we grow, we also want
to help as many people try and try
again, while minimizing their absolute
risk. This can be done by connecting
communities and by localizing
our efforts to become, in a way, an
advantage provider for entrepreneurs.
Welcome to the entrepreneurial
revolution!
Franck speaking on the power of entrepreneurship at Startup Weekend Organizer’s Summit 2012
WELCOME TO THE
ENTREPRENEURIAL
REVOLUTION
Marc at SoSummit 2012
We are witnessing the birth of a true industry around
entrepreneurship. No longer are the grassroots leaders
of this movement pontificating about the importance
of entrepreneurship through megaphones on
proverbial street corners.
2012 was truly the year we saw the
entrepreneurial movement take hold in
political agendas, FT 500 boardrooms,
and institutional programs at a rate far
above anything ever seen before. While
there have always been early adopters
in these sectors, we’ve seen an appetite
for not only discussing the importance
of creating and fostering entrepreneurs
explode, but also a hunger for the
programs that help drive action.
For the first time in history, you can
travel almost anywhere in the world
and say the word “entrepreneur”
or “startup” and find some type of
associated activity. I’m more than
humbled that one of the top activities
you’d find in a community happens
to be a Startup Weekend event. This
is important not just for Startup
Weekend as an organization, but
more importantly, for the cultural
transformation that it represents
which has taken a firm hold in
communities around the world. It
proves one thing - this is not just a
trend. Try searching “startup bubble”
and scrolling through the countless
articles rendered by this search topic
in 2011 alone. I think it’s safe to say
that this movement has surpassed any
trend.
Why? Entrepreneurship - the notion
that anyone anywhere can pursue
something they are passionate about
- is something so innately human
that its manifestation worldwide is
nothing short of natural, rewarding,
and sustainable. We are living a
present moment unprecedented in
human history; access for individuals
to realize their ability to create real
solutions to real problems has never
had such a high level of support and
infrastructure. We’ve witnessed
the reality that entrepreneurial
values transcend borders and unite
individuals from any background
in the name of empowerment and
innovation. Indeed, we have become
the entrepreneurial generation.
Marc discussing the vision for Startup Weekend at Startup Weekend Organizer’s Summit 2012
THE BIRTH OF A TRUE
IDENTITY AROUND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
FRANCK NOUYRIGAT
LETTERSFROMTHEFOUNDERS
2
LETTERSFROMTHEFOUNDERS
3
3. STARTUPWEEKEND
Startup Weekend TM
supports the
development and expansion of
entrepreneurship through events
worldwide that educate aspiring
entrepreneurs by immersing them
in the process of moving an idea
to market. Startup Weekend has
built a network of more than 100K
alumni, thousands of volunteer
organizers, and 100+ trained
facilitators spread across more
than 300+ cities in 100 countries.
Kauffman Foundation, Google,
Microsoft, .Co, Sendgrid and
more are sponsors. For more
information visit:
www.startupweekend.org.
STARTUPWEEKEND
4. 2012 proved to be a year of growth,
learning, and a renewed sense of
purpose for Startup Weekend.
We reached a monumental goal -
the creation of 100,000 entrepreneurs -
and we were honored to commemorate
this achievement by ringing the New York
Stock Exchange bell on December 28th,
2012. We celebrate this pivotal moment
as a symbol of progress and a validation
of our efforts. Reaching this goal
encouraged all of us to consider
the steps we’ve made in the name
of entrepreneurship and the global
community that we’ve built - all made
possible by an unparalleled network of
volunteers. As an organization, we also
recognize our unique responsibility to
continue to support these entrepreneurs
in every way we can. It is with this
mentality that we move forward in 2013
and beyond, challenging ourselves every
step of the way by asking ourselves, what
more can we do?
AT ITS CORE,
STARTUP WEEKEND IS
A DEMOCRATIZER OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
TOGETHER WE’VE BUILT THE LARGEST
COMMUNITY OF DOERS IN THE WORLD
WHATISSTARTUPWEEKEND
At Startup Weekend, we believe that entrepreneurship is the single largest
driving force for creating jobs for ourselves, opportunities for our neighbors,
and ultimately, more responsible and thriving societies. At its core, Startup
Weekend is a democratizer of entrepreneurship. Startup Weekend events are
organized according to a mission rooted in empowerment and education. Over the course of
54 hours, participants pitch ideas, form teams, and ultimately, launch companies. Startup
Weekends create a low-pressure, fast-paced environment that connects entrepreneurs with
mentors, resources, and most importantly, one another.
Ringing the New York Stock Exchange bell on December 28th, 2012
POISED FOR IMPACT
Stepping back to assess our growth
and development has both reinforced
and expanded our vision for the future.
Our unique, rapidly growing global
community is our greatest asset and the
reason that we are uniquely positioned to
make a lasting, revolutionary impact on
our world. We’re boldly moving forward
with the gratitude and understanding
that we’re better equipped than any
other organization to drive the
entrepreneurial movement and evoke
lasting change on a global scale. The
critical time is now, and it is with the
aid of our dynamic community and an
unprecedented, experiential access to
a thorough understanding of the startup
world that we are building the future
of entrepreneurship.
A team working hard at Startup Weekend Athens
Startup Weekend Women’s event in Seattle, WA Working hard and playing hard at Startup Weekend Nabius
OUR UNIQUE, RAPIDLY
GROWING GLOBAL
COMMUNITYIS OUR
GREATEST ASSET
WHATISSTARTUPWEEKEND
6 7
5. “18 months ago, I wanted to find a
good nursery for my daughter. It
was difficult for me to go and visit
every nursery in my neighborhood
to find a suitable nursery for my
child.” Nagla Metwally took this
problem to a Cairo event in 2011
and built Hadanty.net; “I decided
to create a website to help mothers
like me find the nurseries that they
want. I created the website and
collected all information about
nurseries including all nursery
features, photos, video, hosting
prices, and anything that any
mother needs.”
NAGLA’SSTORY
EGYPT
COMMUNITY
6. Having participated as a judge at
the first event in downtown Las
Vegas, I’ve been fortunate to be
part of the magic that a Startup
Weekend can create. The events
can be an amazing starting point
for anyone who wants to build
on an idea in a safe but action-
centered environment where
anyone and everyone can get
feedback on their first steps. I’ve
watched the local downtown Vegas
startup scene accelerate its growth
as a result of Startup Weekend and
the vital role it can play in bringing
ideas and people together.
Startup Weekend is a global
phenomenon that has attracted and
encouraged a new generation of
entrepreneurs. Startup Weekend
has changed the world.
These apps that people are creating
are not only helping people in all
kinds of ways -- they are generating
40,000 jobs in London alone.
Congratulations to the Telegraph
and the brilliant Startup Weekend.
Every one of those ideas seems
like a winner.
It’s amazing to see what Startup
Weekend provides for individuals
and communities on an event
level, but the global community
that has been created as a result of
recurring events around the world
has resulted in an organization
with endless potential to be the
starting point not just for any
entrepreneur to build off of an idea,
but also to find a support system
in any community from which
they can grow and continue to
learn as an entrepreneur.
WHATTHE ENTREPRENEURIAL
COMMUNITYTHINKS
COMMUNITY
10
BORIS JOHNSON
The Mayor of London
DAVID COHEN
Founder and CEO of TechStars
Like Prometheus bringing fire,
Startup Weekend provides
entrepreneurs worldwide with
hands-on training on how to build
and run startups,. These classes
range from a weekend of learning
how to work with a team on an idea
to a 5-week intensive program on
how to actually build a startup.
Startup Weekend is bringing
fire to entrepreneurial
communities worldwide.
STEVE BLANK
Author and Entrepreneur
COMMUNITY
11
COMMUNITY
GROWTH
20122011
TONY HSIEH
Zappos.com CEO and
VegasTechFund Partner
BRAD FELD
Managing Director at the
Foundry Group and Author
ATTENDEES
58K
100K
COUNTRIES
67
111
CITIES
382
194
TEAMS
8K
5K
168
91
301
73
ATTENDEES
There’s nothing quite like the energy,
the enthusiasm, and the excitement
that happens at a Startup Weekend
to inspire and mobilize people around
the world to take action on their
big ideas.
LORI ANNE WARDI
Vice President of .Co Internet
*TOTALS THROUGH EACH YEAR
7. REACH
During Global Entrepreneurship
Week, 500 teams formed at 67
events in 34 countries around
the globe in what was by far the
largest startup competition to
ever take place. From Bangkok,
Mindanaeo, and Istanbul, to
St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Los
Angeles -- first place teams
competed until Groupnotes
from Toronto, Canada, won first
place overall.
GLOBALSTARTUP
BATTLE
WORLDWIDE
8. ONLINE REACH
THE REVOLUTIONGOES SOCIAL
REACH
REACH
15
GLOBALSTARTUP BATTLE
A SUCCESSFULCAMPAIGN
EYEBALLS
ON STARTUP WEEKEND EVENTS IN 2012
250M
PINTEREST FLICKRYOUTUBELINKEDIN KLOUT GOODREADSFACEBOOK TWITTER GOOGLE+
20122011AVG NPO
57S
MENTIONED
EVERY MINUTE
800
TIMES MENTIONED
DAILY IN SOCIAL MEDIA
3-5M
TWITTER IMPRESSIONS
VIEWED EVERY WEEKEND
IMPRESSIONS
FROM 137 GSB EVENTS IN 2012
155M
335K 55K
LIKES
ON FACEBOOK
120K 111
VIDEO ENTRIES
ON FACEBOOK
TOP HASGHTAG CITIES
PARTICIPATING IN GSB
*METRICS POWERED BY
#swtampa - Tampa, FL
#swCordoba - Cordoba, AR
#swbzh - Bretagne, FR
#swaccra - Accra, GH
#swverona - Verona, IT
#swstras - Strasbourg, FR
#swtehran - Tehran, IR
#swmanc - Manchester, ENG
#swburgos - Burgos, ES
#bishkek - KG
#atlsw - Atlanta, Georgia (US)
#swliege - Liege, BE
#swbog - Bogota, CO
#swarmenia - Yerevan, AM
#swkarachi - Karachi, PK
#swtoronto, Toronto, CA
#swsarajevo - Sarajevo, BA
#swpoz - Poznan, PL
#swabidjan - Abidjan, CIV
#swalgiers - Algiers, DZ
#swmontreal - Montreal, CA
#swvancouver - Vancouver, CA
#swtenerife - Tenerife, CI
#swriyadh - Riyadh, SA
#swogden - Ogden, Utah, (US)
#swoc - Orange County, (US)
SHARES
ACROSS FACEBOOK
VOTES
ON FACEBOOK
15K
TWEETS PER EVENT
IN HASHTAG BATTLES
14
9. At Startup Weekend Croatia,
Slavica envisioned a simple
business model that relies on local
businesses and schools to donate
plastic bags that are later used
to create the eco friendly Torbak
bags. “My team believes in project
Torbak, through which we plan to
employ women and young people
and keep our environment a
better place to live.” Torbak
went on to win first place at
the event and Slavica’s startup
now employs eight women in
her local community.
IMPACT
SLAVICA’SSTORY
CROATIA
10. OUR
ATTENDEES
IMPACT
19
OUR COMMUNITY
OFORGANIZERS AND FACILITATORS
ATTENDEES
ATTENDING STARTUP WEEKEND EVENTS IN 2012
100K
37K
NON-TECH
33K
DEVELOPER</>
17K
STUDENT
10K
DESIGNER
35%
ONE JOB OPPORTUNITY
AFTER PARTICIPATING
65%
SW SUBSTANTIALLY
IMPACTED MY LIFE
29%
TEAMS INCORPOARATED
AFTER THE EVENT
62%
DESIRE TO INFLUENCE
ENTREPRENEURIAL POLICY
95%
WOULD ATTEND
ANOTHER EVENT AGAIN
MONEY RAISED
BY TEAMS IN 2011 & 2012
$75M
IMPACT
3K
ORGANIZERS/FACILITATORS
INSPIRING EVENTS WORLDWIDE
300K
HOURS VOLUNTEERED
TO IMPROVE COMMUNITIES
111
COUNTRIES IMPACTED
BY THESE INDIVIDUALS
4K
JUDGES & MENTORS
PASSIONATE ABOUT SW
18
Our community of organizers and facilitators at SoSummit 2012
32Y.O.
AVG AGE
11. PARTNERS
Over the course of Gaza’s Startup
Weekend, Alaa was able to work
with people in her desired field
of IT, hone her skills, and work in
a collaborative space. “Working
with a team you don’t know is
very good, since you’re learning
new things from your partners...
actually, it’s amazing,” Alaa says.
One only needs to hear Alaa
briefly talk about her experience
to understand the power of a
Startup Weekend.
ALAA’SSTORY
GAZA
12. OUR AMAZING
PARTNERS
PARTNERS
PARTNERS
22 23
With the help of our partners, we are able to serve the entrepreneurial
community on a scale and level that simply wouldn’t be possible on
our own. We sincerely thank each of our partners and look forward to
empowering individuals locally and globally together.
MARYGROVE
Director of Google
For Entrepreneurs
Startup Weekend has created a brilliant model
that combines the ability to inspire and ignite
the entrepreneurial spirit with the opportunity
to roll up one’s sleeves to execute and launch.
They’re having real impact in cities across the
globe, teaching aspiring entrepreneurs to be
risk takers and innovators. Startup Weekend
enables individuals to step up and be local leaders
in their communities while being part of the
broader global Startup Weekend community. It’s
fantastic, and we’re excited about this passion
that’s spreading all over the world.
WE HAVE SEEN THEM GROW TO BECOME
A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON AND A
CATALYST FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AROUND THE GLOBE
Microsoft is a long-time partner of Startup
Weekend, right from the outset. In that short
time, we have seen them grow to become a
worldwide phenomenon and a catalyst for
entrepreneurship in every corner of the globe;
inspiring and empowering people from all
backgrounds to come together, to share their
ideas, and build something great – all in just 54
hours. Hundreds of Startup Weekends later, we
continue to see this incredible spirit, passion,
energy and hands-on education make a mark,
from Riyadh to Rio. Without doubt, Startup
Weekend is the story of our generation and their
impact is unique.
CLAIRE LEE
Strategic Partnerships
Microsoft Startups
THEY’RE HAVING REAL IMPACT IN CITIES
ACROSS THE GLOBE, TEACH ASPIRING
ENTREPRENEURS TO BE RISK TAKERS
AND INNOVATORS
TM
13. FORWARD
Former St. Louis police officer
Kevin worked closely with
Michael Abernathy, also a St.
Louis cop on a fraudulent check
detection system (F.I.S.T.S.) at
Startup Weekend New Haven, CT.
After 54 hours, the pair was able to
Abernathy’s background and skills
into functioning fraud detection
equipment. “We’ve done more in
this weekend than I’ve tried to
do in four years in St. Louis,” said
Ewing. “I think’s it’s the best thing
I’ve ever seen.”
KEVIN’SSTORY
USA
14. WE ARE
UNLEASHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FORWARD
FORWARD
26 27
What we’re seeing is the need for the
leaders of this movement to unite.
Within communities, states, countries,
regions, and the world - we need
passionate leaders. Imagine the power
of being able to unite and elevate the
visions of these leaders.
Just like the days before the internet,
we have networks and nodes that have
developed and largely exist in isolation
despite the incredible amount of
similarities that exist among them.
The revolution is happening now and
begins with the ability to connect the
various nodes and isolated networks.
The next year will demand more
consolidation of related activities, more
unification within communities and
their leaders - it will demand a new level
of interconnectivity. By improving the
quality of our programs and their ability
to attract new, relevant audiences over
the longer term, we can connect even
more communities across regions
and the globe. As this unfolds, we will
also see leaders create more value and
more impact.
Startup Weekend Tenerife
It is critical to understand what is driving this movement.
It isn’t governments or corporations - it is the people, the
entrepreneurs themselves. The people truly leading the
creation of this movement are the volunteers, organizers,
and community leaders. Startup Weekend has naturally
evolved into more than an event; it is a catalyst, a rallying
point around entrepreneurs and their stakeholders. More
than anything, Startup Weekend has helped to create
a global community of leaders at the forefront of the
entrepreneurial revolution. Startup Weekend Taipei
Startup Weekend has built upon its humble
beginnings; what started as a simple event
has evolved rapidly into a powerful global
movement of countless volunteers and
over 100,000 entrepreneurs from over 100
countries. As we grow, we remember our
firm belief in “No Talk, All Action.” Many
successful startups have emerged through
our action-based educational programs, and
for the first time we can directly correlate the
creation of new firms to a specific, common
origin: Startup Weekend.
WithoutStartupWeekend,thesecompanies
wouldnotexistandthesefounderswouldnot
havecrossedpaths.Ourindirecteconomic
impactisvisiblytakingshapeonanational
level:thousandsofmeaningfuljobshavebeen
createdatanamazinglylowcost. Thisisjust
oneaspectofwhatwearedoing.Wehavean
initial,individualimpact,butthisquickly
turnsintoapowerfulrippleeffect:Individuals
createjobs,findjobs,changecareers,learnnew
technologies,meetnewpeople,etc.Wearejust
beginningtoseethelastingeffectsofagrowing
entrepreneurialeducation.
In the next five years, we will impact
more than one million people through
our programs. We will strive to serve the
local community more effectively with a
personal, regionalized presence. Building
connectivity in communities will be as
revolutionary as bringing computers
to individuals. With more targeted
programs like NEXT (extended action-
based curriculum for entrepreneurs),
our intrapreneurship program for large
companies, and Startup Research (the
largest community of entrepreneurial
researchers in the world), we can
precisely measure our impact and use
this collected knowledge to make
better entrepreneurs.
We are a framework and the most
efficient and effective model to create
better and more entrepreneurs in the
face of a global economic crisis. Our
model is low cost, highly scalable, and
has high impact on a large spectrum. To
accomplish our vision, we will not only
need growth capital, but also support
to actively and responsibly improve the
global economy. If you believe in changing
the world through entrepreneurship,
please reach out to us. We are looking
for regional and global support with the
understanding that the future of our
economy relies on a communal effort.
Ten year old participant pitching at SW Krakow 2012
