Startup Weekend Eugene: Food is looking for passionate foodies, students, entrepreneurs, developers, chefs, designers, and everyone in between, who want to learn how to innovate new systems and products related to food. The weekend is ideal for people who are thinking about how to grow, change, and expand what's possible in food and beverage business and ecosystem development.

Startup Weekend is a 54-hour experiential program where participants pitch a new food business idea, form a team, and create a startup in the space of a weekend. The weekend will unite like-minded individuals who want to help make local startup ideas a reality. While the weekend is ideal for entrepreneurs, it can also be a great way to build innovation skills within your organization and network with potential new members of your team.

During the weekend, participants build a minimum viable product/prototype (using their own definition for what this entails), validate ideas with potential customers, receive mentorship from some of the most experienced entrepreneurs and industry professionals, and win prizes. The event's team of volunteers will provide the space, meals, caffeine, and connections to local resources to keep everyone going throughout the weekend.

Food is the platform that will be explored here, but that can mean a business with a high tech component (like an ordering system), a manufacturing solution (better packaging), or new product development (that great snack idea you've had). Come learn the basics of founding and launching a successful startup while solving real problems we face in our food system. Consider these realms as part of what will be explored at Startup Weekend Eugene Food:

• Food or Beverage Products

• Brand and Marketing Platforms

• Manufacturing Innovations

• Agriculture and Production Solutions

• Storage, Distribution, or other Logistics Improvements

• Nutrition, Consumption, and Food Waste Solutions

• Food Equity and Access Improvements

Interested in volunteering or joining the event planning committee? Email Micah Elconin at micah@seasontotaste.co (not com).