The team behind Giver--an app that allows users to gift goods or services to homeless individuals through the use of a redeemable code--took home the top prize at Startup Weekend West Michigan on Sunday night. The intensive entrepreneurial event wrapped…
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Startup Weekend kicks off
Startup Weekend West Michigan continues today with more than a dozen teams working on developing a range of ideas, including an exterior mounted snow scraper, super food packets for smoothies and a card game that combines monopoly and goldfish. Hatti…
How to run a successful Kickstarter
In the past five years, Kickstarter has emerged as a legitimate source of funding for startups and entrepreneurs. While banks or traditional investors are likely going to want to see proof that there will be a large, worthwhile return on…
Four reasons to start pitching
The idea of standing in front of a room full of people, some of whom will be judging you (literally), and presenting an idea while being timed may sound like the last thing anyone would ever want to subject themselves…
5×5 Night: November
November's 5x5 Night featured proposals from five entrepreneurs forging innovative businesses and products in West Michigan, from a game system designed to teach children the basics of arithmetic, to a vertical, hydroponic greenhouse that would source food to West Michigan…
Finding your space
As the entrepreneurial community in Grand Rapids continues to grow, several organizations have stepped up to match ambitions with the facilities and opportunities to achieve them. Whether you need tooling to develop your product, are ready for retail space or…
5×5 Night follow up: Ben Logan of Ben’s Buzz Box
Ben Logan was the winner of 5x5 Night in September 2015 It is no secret that the fate of the honey bee is tied closely with our own. One third of all the world’s food is dependent on pollination by…
5×5 Night follow up: Liz Bartlett of KNITit
Liz Bartlett was the winner of 5x5 Night in July 2015 “I believe that when I get to the next level and am vertically integrated and manufacturing,” says Liz Bartlett. “I can bring a lot of jobs, not just to…
5×5 Night: October
This month’s 5x5 Night took place on October 27 and featured proposals from entrepreneurs developing a wide range of products and services, from apps designed to connect local businesses with complementary needs, a beer education program for aspiring cicerones and…
5×5 Night: September
September's 5x5 Night featured a wide range proposals, from entrepreneurs working on socially innovative products that would contribute to solving the global food crisis, to apps that aim to connect college students beyond their dorms. Ben Logan of Ben's Buzz…