The StartUp Scramble™ DC University Challenge kicks-off Friday evening and lasts throughout Sunday. University participants meet at Touchstone Consulting Group’s offices to pitch, organize, and plan their companies. All meals are provided for participants throughout the weekend. Students will organize within their respective schools to begin developing social venture ideas to pitch. Proposed ventures must provide sustainable solutions to issues facing their community—campus or otherwise.
The event concludes Sunday evening with teams pitching their ventures to a panel of prestigious judges. Winning teams are awarded cash prizes, mentorship, and many other business incubation services from a range of providers and partners. Additionally, all teams with fully formulated venture ideas are eligible to receive $1,000 in seed funding to launch their projects and receive longer-term non-monetary support and resources as Ashoka’s Youth Venturers. In joining the Ashoka/Youth Venture global network, Venturers embark on a changemaker journey, in which they define for themselves their role in their university and in society as leaders of positive change.
The StartUp Scramble weekend’s agenda*:
The entire weekend’s StartUp Scramble™ is graciously hosted at Touchstone Consulting Group headquarters at:
1920 N Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20036-1621
Friday, January 29th
5:30 PM Dinner/Introductions
6:00 PM Welcome/Sponsor & Host Recognition/University Roll Call
6:30 PM Review Weekend Agenda/Pitch & Voting Process
7:00 PM Kick-off Speakers: Sean Tuohey, Founder of PeacePlayers International & Tyler Spencer of The Grassroot Project
7:30 PM Meet & Greet/Idea Exchange
8:00 PM Venture Concept Pitches (1-2 minute pitches)
9:30 PM Venture Concept Voting
10:30 PM SCRAMBLE! Organize Teams/Begin Venture Planning
11/12:00 PM Evening Wrap-Up
Saturday, January 30th
8:00 AM Breakfast/Sponsor Recognition/Review Daily Agenda/Team Updates
9:00 AM Pitch Session and Funding Roadmap: Charles Tsai (Global Youth Fund & Ashoka)/Stephen Douglass
9:30 AM Team Work: Venture Planning (Facilitated with Touchstone Consulting Group)
12:00 PM Lunch: Team Building & Sponsor Recognition
1:00 PM Skill Session – Venture Marketing & Outreach Strategies: Peter Corbett, CEO of iStrategyLabs
2:00 PM Team Work: Venture Planning
6:00 PM Dinner: Sponsor Recognition
7:00 PM Round 1 Pitch: MBA Panel Judges
9:00 PM Team Work/Meetings
10:00 PM Evening wrap-up
Sunday, January 31st
8:00 AM Breakfast: Welcome, day overview, group updates
9:00 AM Workshops, mentoring, and venture planning
12:00 PM Lunch: Guest speaker
1:00 PM Venture planning
4:00 PM Pitch preparation
6:00 PM Dinner: Guest speaker
7:00 PM Final Round: Panel introductions/Venture pitches
9:00 PM Conclusion: Sponsor recognition & thank you
*All scheduled items are subject to change. At the conclusion of Friday and Saturday evenings, students will leave Touchstone Consluting’s headquarters and can continue to work on their ventures from a different location until morning kick-off.
