Garden Grove is hosting a Startup Weekend on June 5 – 7, a Google-sponsored gathering where entrepreneurs are paired with designers, developers and tech experts to receive feedback about their startup ideas.
The City Council Tuesday voted to co-sponsor the 54-hour event, which will be at the Community Meeting Center near City Hall, by waiving $5,787 in fees.
Startup weekends have been held in more than 700 cities around the globe and use technology “powered” by Google. Both Chapman University and the University of California, Irvine have also held the Startup events.
Mayor Bao Nguyen, who has been advocating the idea of making the city a new incubator for technology companies and startups, says he supports the event but hasn’t been involved in the planning process.
Councilman Phat Bui was skeptical, however, of whether the event would be a success and worth waiving the fees. Bui owns his own IT consulting business.
“Most startups fail. I applaud you for being interested…but like any other business, this idea needs a well-defined plan…rather than just ‘I have some good ideas and a good heart,’” Bui said.
Councilman Steve Jones said the event is a step in the right direction.
“I’m not as concerned about the dollar amount. Even a few years ago we were thinking, where’s the future leadership?” said Jones. “[Now] there’s a whole lot of fresh new faces coming out of the woodwork and new ideas…that’s going to turn the dial on how Garden Grove is perceived in the future.”
Andrew Halberstadt, an event organizer who also sits on the Main Street Commission, said priority will be given to Garden Grove-based developers and businesses.
Sign up for the event here: http://www.up.co/communities/usa/garden-grove/about
Contact Thy Vo at tvo@voiceofoc.org or follow her on Twitter @thyanhvo.