The Season has begun! No, I’m not talking about football! I’m talking about the Startup Season! It’s beginning a little early this year; usually it kicks off in September. But this year, maybe because we are all so weary of pandemic delays and restrictions, it starts this week with the Growth Factory’s GFX event in Roseville on Thursday. This is a MAJOR event for our startup community and if you’re a founder or an investor, you should be going! You can learn more and register here.

And that’s not the only major event in August. On Tuesday, August 30, the Startup World Cup comes to Sacramento for the first time in history! Ten local startups will have the opportunity to compete on stage in front of a live audience and a panel of investors to see who will advance to the Startup World Cup semifinals and finale in San Francisco September 28-30. The grand prize is $1 million in investment! Today is the last day to apply to compete. Learn more here.]

What’s Next?

As we head into fall, there is a lot more coming. The Startup Challenge, a new weekend program that is kinda like a Startup Weekend, is happening September 23-25. The difference is that there is also a track for early stage companies, not just one for new ideas. And there will be prize money! Learn more here.

October will bring StartupSac Warm-Up Pitch (more coming soon on that) and the launch of the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition. November will bring Global Entrepreneurship Week, a week filled with founder-focused events, including the Spark Venture Competition. Organized by Sac State, Spark is a pitch event with prize money for two different tracks — for profit and social ventures (includes both nonprofits and for-profits with a social mission). I’ll be sharing information with you about all these events in the coming weeks.

Application Due Dates

Find out what’s going on this week for entrepreneurs in our region in this week’s Startup Digest. If you’d like to receive the Startup Digest in your email inbox every Monday morning, sign up here.

This Week’s Best Bets

GFX, Aug 25, 1:00-7:00 PM. Part startup showcase, part venture conference, part entrepreneurial ecosystem building — 100% high energy, interactive and impactful! GFX is the Growth Factory’s first annual event designed to activate the Backyard Advantage at scale. Use promo code “StartupSac” for $5 off admission. In person at @theGrounds in Roseville. 

OKRs: Driving Focus, Alignment, and Engagement with Ben Lamorte, Aug 26, Noon. In this workshop with Ben Lamorte, author of The OKRs Field Book, you will have the opportunity to learn about the foundations of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). You will learn the framework and practical application of OKRs to drive focus, alignment, and engagement in your business. Online

Plan Ahead

Startup World Cup Sacramento, Aug 30, 5:30 PM. Sacramento is hosting a regional event of the $1M Startup World Cup at Rock & Brews Restaurant at Cal Expo. Startups can apply to compete (applications due 8/15). Ten startups will pitch to a panel of local investors and the winner will advance to the semi-finals in San Francisco next month. In person

Startup Happy Hour with Engage3 CEO, Aug 31, 5 PM. This month’s Startup Happy Hour featured guest is Edris Bemanian, the CEO of retail-tech company Engage3. Join us on Zoom for a Fireside Chat followed by an Ask Me Anything session. Online

Capital Creative Showcase, Sep 10, 11 AM – 5 PM.. Capital Creative Showcase is Sacramento Developer Collective’s premiere annual exhibition event where the capital region’s creative talents are brought together to showcase their products and promote their work. Use Coupon Code STARTUPSAC22 for $2 off advance tickets. In person at West Sacramento Community Center

Connect

Looking to connect with others? Join the StartupSac Community Facebook Group! Startup founders and those who support the growth of our startup community connect and exchange ideas in this private moderated group.

Resources

Check out our website for information on resources available to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.