Startup Week Vancouver 2014
November 24, 2014 
Business Law
For the past three years, MT+Co. has participated in Startup Week Vancouver as a sponsor and presenter. From Nov. 14-21, 2014, the event featured a series of 35 smaller events around the city “to celebrate our tech community and startup ecosystem”. Below are two of our favourite features.
Startup Weekend Vancouver
A grassroots movement in 120 countries around the world, Startup Weekend aims to empower entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures.
The event literally runs over the weekend period, beginning with open mic pitches on Friday where attendees share their business ideas and inspire others to join their team. On Saturday and Sunday the teams focus on customer development, validating their concepts, practicing LEAN Startup Methodologies and building a minimal viable product. By Sunday evening the teams demo their prototypes and obtain feedback from a panel of experts and mentors.
This year’s Startup Weekend Vancouver sold out with 125 participant tickets. A total of 50 concepts were pitched, and by the end of the weekend, there were a total of 15 teams pitching concepts to the judges.
MT+Co. contributed to this exciting event as a sponsor, providing prizes of $1,000 in legal services for the winning and runner-up teams.
Startup Weekend Results
Winner: Concept Kicker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qc_7tJXexU
“Concept Kicker allows artist artwork that would otherwise not see the light of day to be shared in a Kickstarter format where fans can vote on the 2D artwork. The pieces that reach the tipping point or goals are then converted into 3D models, 3D printed, and shipped to fans.”
As the winner, ConceptKicker will now get to compete in the Global Startup Battle, sponsored by Google. Follow their journey and support them on Twitter @ConceptKicker. And be sure to vote for them on the Global Startup Battle website.
Runner-up: My Green Space
“My Green Space is your digital gardening planner, helping individuals create their own garden in any space – no experience required. It’s a platform for connecting individuals to seed growers and gardening planners. My Green Space directs individuals step-by-step through the urban gardening process: mapping their garden online, identifying what plants can grow in the space and how to care for them, and shipping packages directly to their door. Delivery options include: individual seeds or a pre-made kits with instructions for plantation and maintenance. My Green Space will remind individuals when to plant, water, and harvest their dream garden.”
3rd Place and Best “Purpose Driven” Idea: Votely
“Votely helps you quickly and easily decide who to vote for in an election, based on the things you care about. Through a series of questions, the system can clearly show you which candidate best represents the issues and things important to you making it easier to learn about candidates and know who to vote for.”
A huge congratulations to all the teams in Startup Weekend Vancouver. MT+Co. is looking forward to working with ConceptKicker and My Green Space on incorporating their businesses.
Vancouver IMPACT 2014
In the middle of Startup Week is a full-day event called IMPACT, focussing on impact and social venture. It aims to give impact entrepreneurs and NPOs access to important startup advice and resources, in addition to helping other entrepreneurs discover their own impact potential.
IMPACT featured a full day of workshops, speakers and networking. MT+Co. was a Supporting Sponsor and speaker for this event, joining speakers from Kiva, Renewal Funds, Urban Roots and many more. One of our business lawyers, Jennifer Yong, delivered a workshop on “Legal 101”, sharing practice legal advice about incorporation and addressing potential legal ‘red flags’ for startups (photo of Jen courtesy of Pure Souls Media).
