The fifth annual San Luis Obispo Startup Weekend will be hosted on campus this coming Friday through Sunday.
Cal Poly Entrepreneurs have put together a competition open for any students that wish to experiment and learn more about turning ideas into business opportunities.
The event is open to any and all students regardless of business background, according to event staff.
“It isn’t just an event for tech/business junkies,” lead event organizer Tim Elkana said in a press release. “Anyone can become an entrepreneur, and Startup Weekend cultivates family, teamwork and straight hustling.”
Business leaders and mentors will attend and judge the event. Two of the judges are Meathead Movers CEO Aaron Steed and Charmaine Farber, a graphic communication and web design professor.
Students will team up with each other in a 54-hour competition to create companies and products, which they will attempt to sell to judges. Business professionals, tech experts and Cal Poly faculty will advise the teams as they work.
On Sunday night, teams will present their final products to be judged for a variety of prizes, including admission to the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), free mentorship hours and a 3-D-printed carbon fiber unicorn.
The event was created to help entrepreneurial students learn how to successfully produce and launch newly established businesses, according to event organizer and SLO Hothouse alumnus Cameron Wiese.
“You can come alone with no idea and leave with a group of friends and a viable business,” Wiese said in a press release.
Correction: It is the fifth annual San Luis Obispo Startup Weekend. This change was made on Feb. 16, 2015.