Fairbanks Techstars Startup Weekend Success
April 10, 2023
From Feb. 17–19 ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ’s Center ICE brought together students, community members, and volunteers to run Techstars Fairbanks Startup Weekend 2023. Facilitated by Lee Ngo and organized by Ashley Guernsey, participants learned to pitch ideas, conducted customer discovery, and set about refining and researching business ideas. Self-formed teams from the weekend included diverse representation from ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ undergraduate and graduate students, as well as community members including alumni and local business owners. The 54-hour-long facilitated event culminated with four teams participating in a pitch night in the ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ BP Design Center which was attended by more than 50 community members and sponsors. Center ICE and Techstars partnered to help Fairbanks dream bigger — for community, business, and innovation — for ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ and beyond.
Teams
Winning team: Write That Down - speech-to-text app for organizing thoughts and notes
Second Place: Cruise Again - retrofitting classic motorcycles with cruise control and other safety features
Third Place: Minutemen - browser that puts content control in the hands of the user, protecting the user from algorithmic harm
Honorable Mention: ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ Shower Kit - designing deployable shower kits for Arctic environments at a fraction of the cost
Prizes
- Above and Beyond - Millard Arnold and Skyler Smith
- Leadership Prize - Christopher Munoz
- Competitor Prize - Finn Morley
- Audience Prize - Minuteman
Fairbanks Startup Weekend Team
- Organizing: Ashley Guernsey (Lead), Peter Webley, Sarah Stanley, Jasamine Spencer, Vanessa Raymond, Kevin Huo, Tate Barhaug, Glen Woodworth
- Mentors: Telesom, ACEP, University of ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ Press, McKinley Bank, OneTree ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ
- Judges: Ursa Major Distillery, Castillo Group, Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation, Fairbanks Reentry Coalition, ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ Department of Environmental Conservation Water and Sewer Challenge
- About Lee Ngo, Startup Weekend Facilitator
- Educator and filmmaker from Portland, Ore.
- This was his 23rd startup weekend
2x Entrepreneur
Sponsors
- ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship ()
- ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research ()
- ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ Alumni Association
- ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ College of Business and Security Management (CBSM)
- Associated Students of the University of ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ Fairbanks ()
- ÓÐÁϺÐ×ÓÊÓƵ Student Leadership and Involvement Office ()