- Overview
- Schedule
- Judges
- Coaches and Mentors
- Sponsors
- Organizing Team
Startup Weekend DC Media Edition
Friday, July 31 - August 2, 2015
Event Alerts and Updates
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Startup Weekend DC Media Edition
Friday, July 31 - August 2, 2015
Friday, July 31 - August 2, 2015
Event starts at 6:30 pm
The Washington Post
1150 15th St NW
Washington,
DC
20071
Buy Tickets
Will you build the next great media company?
Do you want to work together with other entrepreneurs to get your concept off the ground?
Then Startup Weekend DC Media Edition is the place to be!
Advancements in technology, such as streaming audio and video, social networks, and mobile apps, have forced media companies of all types to create and deliver content in new, engaging ways and adapt to changing business models. Now you have the chance to make your mark on the industry.
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or new to the startup world, Startup Weekend DC Media Edition is where you can pitch your idea, form a team, validate your concept, build your product, get valuable insight from mentors, and present your work to a panel of esteemed judges all in just 54 hours.
Important media and content companies such as The Washington Post, National Geographic, Discovery Communications, Gannett, NPR and many more have made the Washington, D.C. region an influential media hub. Will you build DC's next great media company?
EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday July 31st
Saturday August 1st
Sunday August 2nd
Event Judges
Adam Zuckerman
Director of Ventures and Innovation, Discovery Communications; Founder, Fosterly
In January 2015, Fosterly held the Collaborate Conference, the region's largest innovation and entrepreneurship event of the year. More than the 1,000 attendees included leading innovators from both the private and public sectors including Google X, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, NASA, the White House, the GSA, and more. In addition to being an active member of the region's community (e.g, being a member on Mayor Bowser's transition committee) he serves on the advisory boards of other organizations, mentors entrepreneurs and startups, is a frequent guest analyst on CNBC, and has a full time position leading innovation initiatives at the world's #1 pay-TV provider, Discovery Communications.
Just a few of the brands he's collaborated with include Anheuser-Busch, Box.com, Discovery Communications, DocuSign, Facebook, Microsoft, NASA, Twitter, and Verizon.”
Heather Dahl
CEO, CynjaTech & Chairman of the Board, The National Press Foundation
Heather has experience as a journalist for Fox News Channel, Public Radio International, KUOW Seattle, PBS NewsHour, National Public Radio, C-SPAN and Reuters TV.
She also serves as Board Chairman and writes about cybersecurity issues for the National Press Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated increasing journalists' knowledge of complex issues in order to improve public understanding.
Jan Schaffer
Executive Director, J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism
A Pulitzer Prize winner for The Philadelphia Inquirer, she left daily journalism to lead pioneering initiatives in civic, interactive and participatory journalism, and citizen media ventures.
She currently helps media outlets, universities and nonprofits with custom projects that build on her 20 years of experience in the rapidly changing media landscape.
Greg Franczyk
Chief Architect, The Washington Post
Prior to joining The Post in 2011, Greg worked in the retail industry and served in a variety of roles contributing to the multi-channel and eCommerce platforms of Sears Holdings Corp.
Coaches and Mentors
James Li
Co-Founder, Encore Alert
Scott Brodbeck
Owner, Local News Now
Jason Nellis
Founder at Overachiever Media
Deshuna Spencer
Founder and CEO, kweliTV
For more than six years, Spencer has been the founding publisher of emPowermagazine.com. Spencer is also the producer/radio host of emPower Hour on DC’s 89.3 FM WPFW.
A Memphis native, Spencer graduated from Jackson State University where she studied communications and journalism. She has written for The Clarion-Ledger, The Oakland Tribune, the Crisis Magazine, AOL and the Washington Examiner. A former AmeriCorps*VISTA, in 2012, she was named 40under40 by The Envest Foundation. Recently, Spencer received the "Who's Got Next" award by the National Action Network. Spencer recently completed her first documentary, Mom Interrupted.
Sam Han
Director, Big Data and Personalization, Washington Post
At the Washington Post, he is leading a team to build an integrated Big Data platform to store all aspects of customer profiles and activities from both digital and print circulation, metadata of content, and business data to provide personalized content and experience for users, provide complete and linked data for business analytics and reporting, increase profit for Digital Ad Ops, and help newsrooms and other business units to make data-driven decisions.
Prior to joining Washington Post, he led the Big Data practice at Persistent Systems, started the Machine Learning Group at Sears Holdings Online Business Unit, and worked as a Senior Research Scientist for a data mining startup company delivering customized analytics solutions to companies and government agencies.
Sam holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota.
Event Sponsors, and Partners
The Startup Weekend DC Media Edition team is grateful for the support of local community partners without whom this event would not be possible.
Learn how to become a sponsor here.
Gold
Silver
Meal Sponsor
Organizing Team
Techstars Startup Weekend Washington, D.C. is 100% led by volunteer community leaders.
Learn how to get involved here
Facilitators
Mike Chan
Founder
He is also the Founder and Principal of MWC Consulting, a marketing and strategy consulting firm that helps startups and small businesses get off the ground and grow. He loves tech startups and is heavily involved as a founder, advisor, and Facilitator and Organizer of Startup Weekend DC. He's also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and was formerly the Senior Director of Strategic Marketing for the Washington Capitals / Monumental Sports and Entertainment.
His specialties and interests include entrepreneurship, customer relationship management, online marketing, mobile marketing, social media marketing, branding and advertising, research and analytics, product management, user experience, business development, and more.
Event Blog
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