The organization behind the worldwide Startup Weekend phenomenon wants to know what Canadian entrepreneurs think about the state of the startup scene in this country.
The U.S.-based Kauffman Foundation has teamed up with Monitor Group tosurvey entrepreneurs in countries around the globe – including Canada -about their thoughts on the state of startup affairs in their neck ofthe world. The deadline for completing the survey is Aug. 31.
Kauffman Foundation headquartersin Kansas City.
The results will be tallied and turned into a Global Policy SurveyReport to gauge whether the environment in each country is supportiveto startups and how specific policies and programs in each nationstimulate or stifle new business growth.
Startup Weekend events around theworld give entrepreneurs 54 hoursduring one weekend to form teams that pitch startup ideas to a panel ofjudges. The first Startup Weekend was held in Seattle in 2007 but theevent has since spun off into a larger global organization backed bythe Kauffman Group.
In related news, another venture backed by the Kauffman Group, iStart,has launched a new updated version of its Web site. The site allowscompetitors in business competitions around the world to share theirideas, get feedback, network with other competitors and connect withjudges and other mentors. Of particular interest to competitors, theycan now post more content about their business plans and pitches on thesite, including videos and slides, which they can use to promote theirideas to potential partners and investors.
To date, theiStart site contains business plans and ideas fromentrepreneurs in over 100 countries who have taken part in more than125 competitions around the world.