Our recent partnership with StartUp Weekend is underway, and as promised, we will be making our rounds across the country to help early stage software companies become sustainable businesses.

Here is where we’re headed the next few weeks:

Startup Weekend, Washington D.C- Aug. 13-15
StartUp Weekend, San Diego- Aug. 20-22

StartUp Weekend is a challenge for web developers, marketing experts, business managers and graphic designers to form teams and build companies in a 54-hour period. It’s a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to come together to network with experts and make their ideas a reality. Teams can develop a concept, a demo or launch their finished product.

I will be attending these events, serving as a business mentor and  judging teams. I will also be speaking about the challenge of fundraising for new companies.

SocialDevCamp, Chicago- Aug. 13-15

SocialDevCamp is a weekend conference focused on how to utilize the social web. Hundreds of developers and enthusiasts come for talks on social applications, platforms, mobile applications and new media from those such as Andrew Mason of Groupon and Chriss Messina of Google. Developers can also compete in the Hackathon to develop and launch a new social app.

SproutBox is a sponsor and Mike Trotzke will be there to answer questions about SproutBox, development and board games.

MidVenturesLAUNCH, Chicago- Sept. 27-28

LAUNCH brings together venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and social media reps from across the Midwest to introduce new ideas to an audience of professionals. Over 800 entrepreneurs, techies and capitalists will be at the event. Companies who are ready to launch are provided the space, the targeted audience and three minutes to showcase their products. Startups compete for a panel of experts to see if their product reigns supreme.

LAUNCH will be held at the UIC forum. will be there to answer questions about SproutBox and see what great ideas entrepreneurs are coming up with.

The SproutBox Sprout #6 Selection Committee event this past weekend was a great success. The application finalists pitched their ideas to the selection committee followed by a weekend of networking and fun.

Following a full day of great pitches and updates from entrepreneurs, selection committee members and finalists joined the SproutBox team for dinner and drinks at some of Bloomington’s quintessential spots, tours and tasting at two fantastic local breweries, and wrapped-up with a trip to an IU basketball game.

To see a glimpse of the event click through the photo above or checkout this flickr photo set. Keep a lookout. We’ll be announcing the selection of the next Sprout soon!

Ignite Bloomington was another great example of Bloomington’s tech scene coming together. It was a blast, and SproutBox was proud to be a sponsor. Brad and I also had fun participating as presenters. If you missed it, you can check out our presentations on the YouTubes. Thanks to Jay Steele for recording these. I grabbed mine and turned it into a Slidecast as well.

I talked a little bit about starting startups in the downturn.
YouTube version of mine here

Brad deconstructed graffiti, including a sneak peak at artwork in The Box:

You can also get another angle of Mike’s and Brad’s presentations from Kevin Makice’s vantage point.