What the heck is it?

Pioneer Weekend is a three day event, sponsored by the Wilson Program and Grinnell AppDev, that is being organized to take place this month from April 18th - 20th. The objective of this event is to bring together student innovators from different backgrounds, to work together in teams of 3 - 6 people and complete a prototype of an idea that they come up with at the event. It encourages hands-on experiences aspiring student entrepreneurs can find out if their startup ideas might be viable.   Beginning with open mic pitches on Friday, students will bring in their best ideas and inspire others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday teams focus on customer development, validating their ideas, practicing LEAN Startup Methodologies and building a minimal viable product. On Sunday afternoon, teams present their prototypes and receive valuable feedback from a panel of experts.   If you win, cash prizes! $400 1st team $200 2nd team $100 3rd team

  Why should I attend?

Schedule

Friday April 18th 2014   6PM » Registration/Dinner   7PM » Opening Remarks   8PM » Presentation of Ideas   9PM » Voting of Ideas   10PM » Teams built/Begin Building!   12AM » Go to sleep or continue on your own. Do you.       Saturday April 19th 2014   8AM » Breakfast   10AM » Sign Up for mentoring   12PM » Lunch   1PM » Meetings begin   6PM » Dinner   12AM » Get OUT!     Sunday April 20th 2014   8AM » Better get things finished/Breakfast   12PM » Email us your Presentations/ Lunch   1PM » Beginning of Presentations   4PM » Later! Hope you had fun!        

Rules

In A Nutshell...   Use common sense, and listen to Pioneer Weekend staff. Let us know if you have any questions!   Code of Conduct   Pioneer Weekend is dedicated to providing a harassment-free event experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of event participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any event venue, including talks. Event participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the event at the discretion of the event organizers.   Harassment includes offensive verbal comments, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.   Sponsoring organizations and their representatives are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, exhibitors should not use sexualized images, activities, or other material. Event staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualized environment.   If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the event organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of event staff immediately.   General   Rules are subject to change at any time without notice. Decisions by the Pioneer Weekend team are final.   Participation   All participants must be full-time or part-time University students during Spring 2014 except where permission is explicitly given. Participation is closed to family members of judges.   Teams   Teams must consist of between 3 and 6 participants. Teams must submit a list of members upon submitting their idea by Sunday April 20th, 2014 at 10:00 am. Any modifications after that must be approved by organizers. You can, by all means go solo, but we encourage you to work in groups!   Judging Criteria    Teams’ demos will be judged on several criteria including customer validation, business model, design, product execution and creativity. More details about the judging process will be provided closer to the event. Teams will not be told their scores during or after judging, and decisions by the judges and Pioneer Weekend team are final.   Winners   Winners for general Pioneer Weekend prizes will be selected by the judges provided by Pioneer Weekend. Each winning team will be responsible for working with the Pioneer Weekend team and the Wilson program to arrange for the payment to be sent. The winning team is responsible for all taxes associated with a prize.   Photos   By attending Pioneer Weekend, you acknowledge that your picture and video may be used without compensation, prior permission, or notification in any promotional material related to Pioneer Weekend.