Doejo is working with 1871, Technori and DevMynd to bring StartupBus back to Chicago. We are confident that Chicago is the right city to represent the Midwest: packed with technical talent, the startup scene in the city of Chicago is supported by local businesses and the mayor.
At Doejo, we feel our client roster and this blog alone serves as evidence of the thriving tech community. Need more proof? Head over to Built in Chicago, a local community for entrepreneurs that receives over 65,000 visits per month.
So what is this StartupBus that we are bringing back to Chicago? StartupBus is an annual three-day entrepreneurial competition commonly known as a hackathon. Competitors are challenged to create a viable company with a group of strangers in 72 hours while travelling 60mph on a bus. After three days of developing products and refining pitches in March 2013, each team will present at SXSW interactive in Austin, Texas.
StartupBus is a premier and exclusive competition that invites only the nations top cities to compete. This year StartupBus has America’s top entrepreneurial regions competing against one another. With any luck, Chicago will be representing the Midwest region and competing head to head with cities better known for producing great startups.
To celebrate Chicago’s return to the StartupBus competition, StartupBus will hold a “Battle Royale” on February 9th at 1871 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Battle Royale will serve to showcase Chicago’s top Hackers (Engineers), Hipsters (Designers), and Hustlers (Product marketing and managers). Participants will face off in four rounds of head-to-head competition. At the end of the competition, a winning Hacker, Hipster and Hustler will be declared.
Chicago’s StartupBus Battle Royale will include free drinks, lunch, and cash prizes for the winners in each category. Most importantly, the winners will be awarded a coveted spot on this years Chicago StartupBus!
Click here for more information and to register for the event.
Want to learn more about StartupBus? Last year, Doejo’s very own Phil Tadros was chosen to be a mentor on last years Boston bus. You can read more about Phil’s experience and the origins of StartupBus or check out the official website here.