Techstar Startup Weekend: An Insider's View

We’ve all heard the gloomy news that entrepreneurship is at an all-time low in the U.S.

Policymakers are rightly concerned about the worrying decline of what is often touted as “the engine of economic growth.” In the meantime, I’m sure that we’re all aware of the departure and closing of countless businesses in the North End, Mansfield, and Richland County in general over the last decade or so.

Entrepreneurship has extraordinary transformative power in society. It offers an alternative to those whose past means that “traditional” employment is not a realistic option anymore, an option to those that did not have the chance to go to college, and hope to those that were simply never made for 9-to-5 jobs. When you start your own business, you are the agent of your own success and you get to directly see the fruits of your labor. Whether you become the next Apple or just a cozy North End business, starting and maintaining your own successful business is not only a huge source of pride to yourself, but also to the entire community. It provides hope and inspiration to you, your family, and the community at large.

Entrepreneurship is an important recommendation in our North End Community Economic Development (CED) plan. The feedback that we received from the community when we were writing it revealed to us that residents desperately want to see locally-owned and operated businesses (within walking distance) in the neighborhood. Not only that, but our vision statement also emphasizes prosperity, innovation, and economic vitality. Therefore, entrepreneurship aligns perfectly with our values.

I am glad to announce, then, that I am part of a team of passionate Mansfield residents that decided to bring the Techstars Startup Weekend to Mansfield for the very first time! We plan to hold the event September 28-30 at IdeaWorks, 40 West Fourth Street, Mansfield.

The purpose of Startup Weekend is not just to start a business in Mansfield, it is to show people that our future and prosperity is created and driven by community’s residents. We want to start, inspire, and maintain a culture of entrepreneurship and, most importantly, help the residents of this neighborhood and city make their own opportunities when other opportunities just aren’t right for them. Therefore, we hope to hold this event at least every year.

To learn more about the event, click here (and make sure to read the FAQ page).

To prepare you for the big event in September, we’ll be having a pre-event next week Friday, May 11, from 5:30  till 7:30 p.m. at IdeaWorks. Lisa Delp, former Executive Director of Ohio's Third Frontier and inaugural organizer of Technology Requirements & Innovation Awareness Days (TRIAD), will join us for a fun Q&A about how your Startup Weekend Mansfield business idea could serve the U.S. defense market.

Yes, that’s right: the U.S. military.

Lisa will discuss ways in which you can get help from and exposure to combatant command tech and product scouts that could be game-changing customers for small businesses and startups. She will tell us about how that small business idea that you've always had now has the opportunity to connect to an absolutely massive market.

The event is open to anyone and everyone to join! Tickets are free but you do need to register for the event on the ticket page on this link. If you know of anybody that might be interested in this event, please do share it with them!

Lastly, please visit and like our Facebook page.

We hope to see you there and help us support a culture of entrepreneurship in Mansfield and the North End!