The annual San Diego Startup Week has a new home this year! Your San Diego Convention Center is excited to serve as hosts for this event that brings together top talent in the region to spark new ideas, designs and opportunity for our region.
Tickets for the event, set for May 28 through June 2, are now on sale.
Who attends? It runs the gamut, from entrepreneurs, developers, designers and students to community leaders and civic supporters.
"Once a year, Startup Week brings together the community to share progress, exchange resources, and celebrate our region’s thriving innovation ecosystem," said Jarrod Russell, Startup San Diego’s Executive Director. "Over the last seven years, San Diego Startup Week has grown into one of our region’s largest celebrations of innovation, talent, and entrepreneurship. It truly is remarkable what the San Diego community has achieved with this grassroots effort. My sincere thanks to our incredible volunteers, sponsors, and community partners who make it all possible."
There are four content tracks:
- Idea Track is for anyone who has an idea for a startup, wants to join a startup or recently launched a startup
- Seed Track is for startups looking to achieve product-market fit and solidify a business model
- Growth Track is for startups ready to grow smart and fast
- San Diego Track is for attendees interested in learning about what makes the San Diego startup ecosystem unique.
Topics across the tracks include early product development, how to scale, the local software development community, cybersecurity, biotech, cleantech and the craft beer sector.
The Convention Center will serve as the place for meetings, discussions, demos and educational panels. At night, there are parties, keynotes, startup crawls and other networking events to build community. The event is one of the largest of its kind in the United States and is organized by Startup San Diego, a California nonprofit that is run by a volunteer-based group of innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors and investors.
"This is exactly the type of community event that we are excited to host," said Clifford "Rip" Rippetoe, President & CEO of the San Diego Convention Center. "Our purpose is to serve as the premier gathering place to host events and meetings that produce economic benefit for the region. Startup Week creates an opportunity for the local startup community to share progress, exchange resources, and celebrate each other’s accomplishments. We are honored to host this event in our 30th anniversary year."
Here's a look at the event rundown:
Tuesday, May 28, 3pm – 7pm:
- San Diego Meets Tijuana: Binational Partners in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. This features a binational focus on innovation and entrepreneurial spirit for both sides of the border and showcases how people and companies have made it big in Tijuana
Wednesday, May 29:
- Registration opens at 8am at the San Diego Convention Center
- Sessions run from 10am to 6pm
- Startup Fair from Noon to 6pm
- Key Note & Opening Party events start at 5pm
Thursday, May 30:
- Sessions from 9am to 6pm
- Startup Fair from 10am to 4pm
- Pitch Competition Events beginning at 4pm
Friday, May 31:
- Sessions from 9am to 6pm
- Startup Fair from 10am to 4pm
- "Uncrawl" Parties start at 4pm
Saturday, June 1:
- Intensive workshops from 9am - 5pm
- Startup Showcase and picnic from 11am to 4pm (bring your family!)
Want to be a speaker, volunteer or get involved? Visit San Diego Startup Week's website.
