Think Big Field Trip: At This Moment!

A few weeks ago, we announced the Think Big Field Trip: a three-day excursion with 10 of the Midwest's most promising startups to Silicon Valley.  While in the Valley, startups will have the opportunity to pitch at the Silicon Valley Bank Seed Showcase, present at the Think Big Showcase and meet one-on-one with investors from the Bay-area to talk numbers.

And this is all happening at this very moment.

The Think Big Field Trip is starting right now with the Silicon Valley Bank Seed Showcase at the Rosewood Hotel in Menlo Park, California.  That means that at this very moment, one of the 10 Midwest startups is standing up in front of a large number of big-time, Silicon Valley investors.  That means that right now, Midwest entrepreneurship is making at name for itself out in the Valley.

Until 1:00PM (PST) today, the 10 selected Midwest entrepreneurs will continue to prepare, pitch and network with some of the most influential people in the startup world today.  Following the Silicon Valley Bank Seed Showcase, startups will be escorted to the Mozilla Foundation where they will learn about the WebFWD and Mozilla Ignite programs.  Then, these Midwestern startups have the chance to attend a meetup in Silicon Valley called the SF New Tech Spring Fling at Mighty.

Tomorrow won't slow down for these Field Trip companies either.  Think Big Partners has lined up a handful of investors from the Bay area to participate in the Think Big Showcase, where the startups have another chance to practice and pitch their business ideas.

On Friday, it all comes together.  The Field Trip companies are invited to schedule follow-up meetings with interested investors from the Bay area.

All the way from Kansas City: best of luck to our Field Trip startups!

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Think Big Partners Takes Midwest Startups on Flyover Field Trip to Silicon Valley

Think Big Partners has invited a number of Midwest startup companies to participate in what has become known as the Flyover Field Trip.  The Flyover Field Trip is a Think Big initiative that connects entrepreneurs to investors from tech and startup hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston and New York.  The event is a highly-intensive, three-day pitchfest for Midwest startups hoping to get their businesses on the map. 

“In this highly-connected digital global economy, the Flyover Field Trip will bridge the gap between good ideas and funding sources,” said co-founder of Think Big Partners, Herb Sih.  “Instead of launching a startup company and hoping investors show up on Demo Day, we are taking a Midwestern-based, common sense approach to the situation.” 

In order to prepare the selected startups for the Flyover Field Trip, Think Big Partners is hosting a three-day Pitch Camp this week at its coworking space, bizperc.  Through peer dynamics, the PRISM process, question-and-answer sessions and intense pitch coaching, Pitch Camp will groom and perfect eight to ten different decks and pitches for the Flyover Field Trip at the end of March.   

“Why should only good ideas from Silicon Valley, Boston and New York get the funding attention?” asked co-founder of Think Big Partners, Tyler Prochnow.  “Great ideas come from every part of the country, including the flyover states.” 

“The Midwest offers some great things that are very important to entrepreneurs,” said Sih.  “We have a great quality of life, reasonable living costs, a collaborative mindset, combined with Midwestern sensibility.  Not to mention, we have strong work ethic.” 

Think Big Partners’ first Flyover Field Trip will take place March 21-23, 2012 in Menlo Park, San Francisco, Mountain View and Palo Alto, California.  On the Flyover Field Trip, a group of Midwest startups selected by Think Big Partners and Silicon Valley Bank will attend the Silicon Valley Seed Showcase, a briefing on WebFWD and Mozilla Ignite programs, the Think Big Showcase and much more.  To learn more about the Flyover Field Trip, please visit http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/events/flyover-fieldtrip.html.