Disrupt It Weekend
Are you good at generating ideas that would reinvent your city? Could these ideas be a business? Do you wish for an opportunity to give it a try with no risk? That chance lies in an exciting annual weekend long event called Disrupt It Weekend, returning for its 6th year January 31st-February 2nd, 2020 and this year it’s all about Reinventing the City.
Disrupt It kicks off Friday evening with participants pitching their ideas in a quick 2 min pitch format. From here the participants vote on what ideas they would like to move forward and work on over the course of 54 hours. Teams form organically around these ideas and spend the remainder of the weekend working in their teams until the final pitch to the judges on Sunday afternoon. Don’t know much about how to launch a business? Don’t worry that is where the coaches, mentors and members of the organizing committee come in, they are there to help you. The weekend also includes support developing the business idea in the areas of financial literacy, business planning and how to pitch the idea to the judges.
Disrupt It Weekend sees a variety of participants with ages ranging from 14-65, as well as a large amount of varying ideas. Past participants have pitched ideas from mobile cat grooming units to subscription based home gardening services. Ideas pitched at the finals in front of judges have also varied from using crickets for protein powder, tiny house villages and technology based customer service retention models. It’s really an anything goes kind of event and the organizers are looking forward to seeing what ideas the participants will come up with this year.
This year’s theme to Reinvent Your City can be anything you feel could add to the value of your City. You might choose to focus on transportation, or recycling or developing an app that provides a social network, anything goes and all ideas are welcome! Participants don’t need to come with a team or an idea, they can join a team and work with the idea that they liked best. Disrupt It will be giving away over $5000 in cash prizes to the winners, along with follow up support for business development.
This year’s event is being held in the new business incubator, Ingenuity, at Lakehead University and is held in partnership with The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre. Cost for the weekend is $50 for students and $75 for adults. Register before January 10th to get a free Ungalli T-Shirt. To register or find out more information please visit www.disruptit.ca
